For almost two decades (1976-1993) technical-scientific high-performance computing has been dominated by vector processing, pioneered by Seymour Cray and his Cray Research Incorporated. This technology is explained in detail, and the significant cost-performance advantages are outlined. While parallel processing is more en-vogue today, and in fact is dominating scientific computation since 1993, a comeback of vector processing may be on the horizon due to the IBM/Sony/Toshiba Cell processor being a parallel vector processor, and being the highest-performance single chip available today.