via The Register - Japanese 'Computenik' Earth Simulator shatters US supercomputer hegemony

Tokyo 20 April 2002: The Japanese Earth Simulator is on-line and producing results that alarm the USA, that considered itself as being leading in supercomputing technology. With over 35 Tflop/s, it five times outperforms the Asci White supercomputer that is leading the current TOP500 list. No doubt that position is for the Earth Simulator, not only for the next list, but probably even for the coming two years. In the New York Times, bench mark compiler Jack Dongarra compares the event with the Sputnik, hence he dubbed the Earth Simulator "Computenik"...