Generation of Computer

Computer generations are based on when major technological changes in computers occurred:
Review each of the generations below for more information and examples of computers and technology that fall into each generation.

First generation (1940 - 1956):

The first generation of computers used Vacuum Tube as a major piece of technology. Vacuum tubes were widely used in computers from 1940 through 1956.

Vacuum tubes were larger components and resulted in first generation computers being quite large in size, taking up a lot of space in a room. Some of the first generation computers took up an entire room.

The ENIAC is a great example of a first generation computer. It consisted of nearly 20,000 vacuum tubes, as well as 10,000 capacitors and 70,000 resistors. It weighed over 30 tons and took up a lot of space, requiring a large room to house it. Other examples of first generation computers include the UNIVAC,IBM 701.

       The UNIVAC was the first commercial computer delivered to a business client, the U.S. Census Bureau in 1951.

Second generation (1956 - 1963):

The second generation of computers saw the use of Transistor instead of vacuum tubes. Transistors were widely used in computers from 1956 to 1963.

Transistors were smaller than vacuum tubes and allowed computers to be smaller in size, faster in speed, and cheaper to build.

High level Programming Language were also being developed at this time, such as early versions of COBOL or FORTRAN. These were also the first computers that stored their instructions in their memory, which moved from a magnetic drum to magnetic core technology.

Third generation (1964 - 1971):

The third generation of computers introduced the use of IC(integrated circuits) in computers. Using IC's in computers helped reduce the size of computers even more compared to second-generation computers, as well as make them faster.

Fourth generation (1972 - Present):

The Microprocessor (VLSI - Very Large Scale of Integration) brought the fourth generation of computers, as thousands of integrated circuits were built onto a single silicon chip. 

What in the first generation filled an entire room could now fit in the palm of the hand. In 1981 IBM introduced its first computer for the home user.

Fifth Generation (Present and Beyond):
Fifth generation computing devices, based on artificial intelligence, are still in development, though there are some applications, such as voice recognition, that are being used today. The use of parallel processing and superconductors is helping to make artificial intelligence a reality. Best example: ROBOT

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Page Creater: Chinmoy Tewary, Centre Manager IISM SURI.