Prathibha Virtual Classes

GENERATIONS OF COMPUTERS
 Generation in computer terminology is a change in technology a computer is/was being used.
 Initially, the generation term was used to distinguish between varying hardware technologies
 Nowadays, generation includes both hardware and software, which together make up an entire
computer system.
 There are five generations of computers.
1. First Generation Computers –1942 to 1954
2. Second Generation of Computers -1955 to 1964
3. Third Generation of Computers- 1965 to 1974
4. Fourth Generation Computers- 1975– till now
5. Fifth Generation of Computers – Still in Process

1. First Generation Computers – Based on Vacuum Tubes

Computer Characteristics & Capabilities
Period - 1942 to 1954
Size – Relatively big size .Size was equivalent to a room,
Weight was about to 30 tones.
Speed – slow speed, hundred instructions per second.
Cost – cost was very high.
Language– Machine and Assembly Language.
Reliability – high failure rate , Failure of circuits per second.
Power– high power Consumption and it generated much heat.
J.P.Eckert and J.W.Mauchy invented the first successful electronic computer called ENIAC, ENIAC
stands for “Electronic Numeric Integrated And Calculator
Trends and Developments in Computer Hardware-
Main Component – based on vacuum tubes (vacuum tubes
require a large cooling system.)
Main memory –Magnetic drum
Secondary Memory – Magnetic drum & magnetic tape.
Input Media – Punched cards & paper tape
Output Media – Punched card & printed reports.
Example – ENIAC, UNIVAC, Mark –I,mark-III , IBM 700 series , IBM 700 series ,IBM 701 series IBM 709
series etc.

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2. Second Generation of Computers – Based on Transistor
Computer Characteristics & Capabilities –
Period - 1955 to 1964
Size – Smaller than first generation Computers.
Speed – Relatively fast as compared to first generation, thousand
instructions per second.
Cost – cost Slightly lower than first generation.
Language – Assembly Language and High level languages like FORTRAN, COBOL,BASIC.
Reliability – Failure of circuits per days.
Power– Low power Consumption.
Trends and Developments in Computer Hardware-
 Main Component – Based on Transistor.
 Main Memory – Magnetic core.
 Secondary Memory – Magnetic tape & magnetic Disk.
 Input Media – Punched cards
 Output Media – Punched card & printed reports.
 Example – IBM-7000,CDC 3000 series, PDP1,PDP3,PDP 5 ,PDP8 ,ATLAS,IBM-7094 etc.
3. Third Generation of Computers – Based on Integrated Circuit
Computer Characteristics & Capabilities –
Period: 1965 to 1974
Size – Smaller than Second generation Computers. Disk size mini computers.
Speed – Relatively fast as compared to second generation, Million instructions per second (MIPS).
Cost – cost lower than Second generation.
Language– High level languages like PASCAL, COBOL,BASIC,C etc.
Reliability – Failure of circuits in Weeks.
Power– Low power Consumption.
 These computers reduce the computational time from
microseconds to nanoseconds.
 The highly sophisticated technology required for the
manufacturing of IC chips.
 Air conditioning is required

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Trends and Developments in Computer Hardware-
 Main Component – Based on Integrated Circuits (IC)
 IC was invented by Robert Noyce and Jack Kilby In 1958-1959.
 IC was a single component containing number of transistors.
 Primary Memory – Magnetic core.
 Secondary Memory– Magnetic Tape & magnetic disk.
 Input Media – Key to tape & key to disk (Keyboard * Mouse)
 Output Media – Printed reports & Video displays.
 Example – IBM-307 Series ,CDC 7600 series, PDP (Personal Data
processer ) II etc.
 This generation of computers has big storage capacity.
 They used an operating system for better resource
management and used the concept of time-sharing and multiple programming.
4. Fourth Generation of Computers - Based on VLSI Microprocessor
Computer Characteristics & Capabilities –
Period: 1971– 1980
Size – Typewriter size micro Computer.
Speed – Relatively fast as compared to Third generation, Tens of
Millions instructions per second.
Cost – Cost lower than third generation.
Language– High level languages like C++,KL1 , RPG, SQL.
Reliability – Failure of circuits in months.
Power– Low power Consumption.
 A microprocessor is used in a computer for any logical and
arithmetic function to be performed in any program.
 Graphics User Interface (GUI) technology was exploited to
offer more comfort to users.
Trends and Developments in Computer Hardware-
 Main Component – Large scale integrated (LSI) Semiconductor
circuits called MICRO PROCESSOR or chip and VLSI(Very Large
scale integrated).
 Main Memory – Semi conductor memory like RAM, ROM and
cache memory is used as a primary memory.
 Secondary Memory – Magnetic disk, Floppy disk, & Optical disk
(CD,DVD).
 Input Media – keyboard.
 Output Media – Video displays ,Audio responses & printed reports.
 Example – CRAY 2, IBM 3090/600 Series, IBM AS/400/B60, DEC 10, PUP 11 etc.
 Air conditioning is required in many cases due to the presence of ICs.
 Advance technology is required to make the ICs.

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5.Fifth Generation of Computers -Based on ULSI Microprocessor ,AI
Computer Characteristics & Capabilities –
 Period - 1980-onwards.
 Size –Credit card size micro computers.
 Speed – Billions instructions per second.
 Cost – Cost Slightly lower than first generation.
 Language– Artificial Intelligence (AI) Languages like LISP,
PROLOG etc
 Reliability – Failure of circuits in year.
 Power– Low power Consumption.
 The aim of the fifth generation is to make a device which could respond to natural language input and
are capable of learning and self-organization.
 This generation is based on ULSI(Ultra Large Scale Integration) technology resulting in the production
of microprocessor chips having ten million electronic component.
 It provides computers with more user-friendly interfaces with multimedia features.
Trends and Developments in Computer Hardware-
 Main Component – based on ULSI ( Ultra Large scale integrated)
Circuit .that is also called Parallel Processing method.
 Memory – Optical disk and magnetic disk.
 Input Media – Speech input, Tactile input.
 Output Media – Graphics displays, Voice responses.
 Example – Lap-Tops, palm –Tops, Note books ,PDA (personal
Digital Assistant ), Chrome book, Ultra Book, etc.
 They may make the human brains dull and doomed.