Generations of

Computers

A presentation by Palaash Tiwari

Media Trainee
PG1
M10040
Subject : IT
Semester 1
Five Generations of Computers
First Generation: 1944-1959
Second Generation: 1960-1964
Third Generation: 1964-1975
Fourth Generation: 1975-Current
Fifth Generation: Current and Future
Introduction
A generation refers to the state of improvement in the
product development process. With each new
generation, the circuitry has gotten smaller and more
advanced than the previous generation before it. As a
result of the miniaturization, speed, power, and
computer memory has proportionally increased. New
discoveries are constantly being developed that affect
the way we live, work and play.
 First Generation of Computers

o ENIAC (Electronic Numerical Integrator And Computer)

o Built by two professors at MSEE, University of Pennsylvania
o 18,000 vacuum tubes, 30 tons, and occupied 15,000 square feet of floor space.
o Could perform 5,000 additions or 500 multiplications per minute
First Generation of Computers
 Second Generation of Computers

o Transistor Technology.
o Smaller as compared to the first generation computers
o Computational time reduced to microseconds from milliseconds.
o More reliable and less prone to hardware failure. Required less frequent maintenance.
o Portable and generated less amount of heat.
o Assembly language was used for programming.
o These also required air conditioning.
o Manual assembly of individual components into a functional unit was still required.
Second Generation of Computers
 Third Generation of Computers

o Use of Integrated Circuit

o Silicon disk, quartz, semi conductor

o Introduction to Operating Systems

Third Generation of Computers
 Fourth Generation of Computers

o Large scale integration to very large scale integration

o Condensed Power

o Microprocessors

o CPU, Memory and Input and Output Controls

 Fifth Generation of Computers

o In use now

o Very Powerful

o Fast

o Massive Parallel Processing

o Expected to dictate Humans