1. Any hardware requiring raised flooring and special power. Used especially of old minis and mainframes, in contrast with newer microprocessor-based machines. In a famous quote from the 1998 Unix EXPO, Bill Joy compared the liquid-cooled mainframe in the massive IBM display with a grazing dinosaur "with a truck outside pumping its bodily fluids through it". IBM was not amused. Compare {big iron}; see also {mainframe}. 2. [IBM] A very conservative user; a {zipperhead}.
[glossary]
[Reference(s) to this entry by made by: {big iron}{blinkenlights}{COBOL}{EBCDIC}{iron}{Iron Age}{mainframe}{Stone Age}{tired iron}{walking drives}]