Generation of Computer

Evolution of modern computer is commonly considered in terms of Generation of Computers.

First Generation (1940-1956): Vacuum Tubes

The computers of this generation were made up of vacuum tubes for circuitry and magnetic drums
for memory. This made computers bulky and heavy. Punched cards were used to feed the
information. Magnetic tapes were used as external storage devices. They were very expensive to
operate and in addition to using a great deal of electricity, generated a lot of heat and occupied a
large amount of space. These machines used machine and assembly level language. The UNIVAC
and ENIAC computers are examples of first-generation computing devices.

Second Generation (1956-1963): Transistors

The computers of this generation made up of transistors replacing vacuum tubes. These were small
in size so the machines occupied a less amount of space. The use transistors made the computers
work much faster. The transistor was far superior to the vacuum tube, allowing computers to
become smaller, faster, cheaper, more energy-efficient and more reliable than their first generation
predecessors. Though the transistor still generated a great deal of heat that subjected the computer
to damage, it was a vast improvement over the vacuum tube. Second generation computers still
relied on punched cards for input and printouts for output. The development of higher-level
languages like FORTRAN, COBOL and BASIC was possible.

Third Generation (1965-1971): Integrated Circuits

The computers of these generations were made up of IC (Integrated Circuits). Integrated circuits
mean incorporation of hundreds of transistors on a single silicon chip. These were still smaller than
the computers of second-generation machines. Heat generated was also less and they occupied less
space. Instead of punched cards and printouts, users interacted with third generation computers
through keyboards and monitors and interfaced with an operating system, which allowed the device
to run many different applications at one time with a central program that monitored the memory.
Computers for the first time became accessible to a mass audience because they were smaller and
cheaper than their predecessors.

Fourth Generation (1971- Present): Microprocessors

Fourth Generation computers are the modern day computers. The size started to go down with the
improvement in the integrated circuits. Very Large Scale (VLSI) and Ultra Large scale (ULSI)
ensured that millions of components could be fit into a small chip. It reduced the size and price of
the computers at the same time increasing power, efficiency and reliability. "The Intel 4004 chip,
developed in 1971, took the integrated circuit one step further by locating all the components of a
computer (central processing unit, memory, and input and output controls) on a minuscule chip."

Fifth Generation Computer

This is an anticipated new type of computer based on emerging microelectronic technologies with
high computing speeds and parallel processing. The development of Very Large Scale Integration
(VLSI) technology, which can put many more circuits onto an integrated circuit (chip) than is
currently possible, and developments in computer hardware and software design may produce
computers far more powerful than those in current use.