THE COMPUTER GENERATIONS

Generation:
A generation basically refers to the state of improvement in the development of a product.

First Generation (1945-1956) (The Vacuum Tube Years)

 The first generation computers used vacuum tube for circulatory and magnetic drum for
memory.
 The vacuum tube was a fragile glass device that could control and amplifying electronics
signals.
 Large machines, occupying huge rooms.
 Very expensive to operate and consume vast energy.
 Input was based on punch card and output was displayed on printouts.

Examples:
 UNIVAC (Universal Automatic Computer).
 ENIAC (Electronic Numerical Integrator Automatic computer).

Second Generation (1957-1963) (The era of Transistor)

 Second generation computer system took advantage of semiconductor which means that
transistor replaced the vacuum tube.
 This result in reduce physical size, fact fast computing and greater power.
 Superior to vacuum tubes, allowing computers to become smaller, faster cheaper, more
energy efficient.

The difference b/w vacuum tubes and transistors are:

 The transistors were faster and reliable than vacuum tubes.
 One transistor replaces the equivalent of 40 vacuum tubes.
 They also contain all the components of computer of modern era, like printers, tape
storage, memory, operating system and stored programs.

Advantages:
 More reliable
 Less heat generating.
 Better portability.
3rd Generation: (1964-1970) (IC)
 3rd generation computer was made from integrated circuits which again resulted in
reducing size, fast computing and more powerful.
 The IC combined electronic components onto a small silicon disk and scientists latter fit
more components onto it.
 As a result computer became ever smaller as more components were squeezed onto the
chip.
 Another 3rd generation development includes the use of operating system that allowed
machines to perform many different programs at once.
 Magnetic disks were improved w.r.t storage capability.
 I/O devices were introduced, like printers, keyboards.
 Billions of instructions were solved in seconds.
 Easily portable.

4th Generation (1971-present) (microprocessors)

 The 4th generation of computer technology is based on microprocessors.
 Microprocessors employ large scale integration (LSI) and Very large scale integration
(VLSI) techniques to pack thousands of transistors on a single chip.
 Ultra large scale integration increases this number of transistors.
 Reliability, speed and efficiency were also increased.
 Microprocessor is a single chip that could do all computing and logic work.
 To bring computers to general customers.
 User friendly software packages (Windows).
 Homes, offices usage increased.
 Linking computers, data sharing in client/server environment.

5th Generation: (A.I) (Present to Beyond)

 Scientists are working on these systems.
 Nano technology.
 Voice recognition.
 Superconductor technology.