< computer > 1. A computer; especially in the construction "foo box" where foo is some functional qualifier, like "graphics", or the name of an operating system (thus, " Unix box", " MS-DOS box", etc.) "We preprocess the data on Unix boxes before handing it up to the mainframe ." The plural " boxen " is sometimes seen.
2. Without qualification in an IBM SNA site, "box" refers specifically to an IBM front-end processor .
[ Jargon File ]
(1994-11-29)