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Subject:Re: "Platform" From:"Pickett-Harner, Molly" <mop1 -at- NIORDS1 -dot- EM -dot- CDC -dot- GOV> Date:Thu, 18 May 1995 11:08:00 EST
(1) According to Freedman's _The Computer Glossary_ (7th ed - 1995):
Platform is "The hardware architecture of a particular model or computer
family. The term also often refers to just the operating system, which
implies the particular hardware architecture that it runs on [sic!]; for
example, 'the XYZ program runs on the Windows platform.'"
[Author notes: "The electronic and encyclopedic versions of this book
provide more detail on this subject."]
(2) Barron's _Dictionary of Computer Terms_ (3rd ed - 1992):
"A platform is a piece of equipment (or occasionally software) used as a
base on which to build something else. For example, a mainframe computer
can serve as a platform for a large accounting system."
Would love to see how Robin Williams' _Jargon_ (bk is at home) explains
platform. BTW highly recommend same for information plus sheer enjoyment --
the woman does have a way w/words & concepts!
Molly Pickett-Harner
mop1 -at- niords1 -dot- em -dot- cdc -dot- gov
harner -at- access -dot- mountain -dot- net
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<snip snip
<I have the same question Bev stated later in her post concerning
"platform."
<What do we mean by "platform" in the context of computing? Operating
<systems are pretty straightforward and hardware, pretty much so.
<But "platforms?" Que es?
