And... LEO: It was something that the big mainframes always could do.

At Fujitsu Ltd., Japan's biggest computer maker, work was set in motion to alter programs on the biggest mainframes.

For any computer, from the humblest home micro to the biggest mainframe, to be usable it must be equipped with a man/machine interface.

"In those days, it was mostly researchers and military personnel linked to a big old mainframe," Mr. Curry added.

They're working on that one a couple of hours every day with their big mainframes.

In the past, I.B.M., based in Armonk, N.Y., was able to offer the biggest mainframes.

A day and a half later they had one of their big mainframes singing out transactions of the big traders during October.

Hitachi Ltd. of Japan introduced a new computer yesterday that is faster than I.B.M.'s biggest mainframes.

For its part, I.B.M. has been slow to adjust to the shift away from big mainframes toward increasingly powerful but less costly personal computers and work stations.

In theory the lowliest person at the PC level could share data and files with the biggest mainframe.