n. A worldwide hobbyist network of personal computers
which exchange mail, discussion groups, and files. Founded in 1984
and originally consisting only of IBM PCs and compatibles, FidoNet
now includes such diverse machines as Apple ][s, Ataris, Amigas and UNIX systems. Though it is much younger than
USENET,
FidoNet is already (in early 1991) a significant fraction of
USENET's size at some 8000 systems.