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First Generation
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First Generation Computers
First Generation Computers used magnetic drums for memory and vacuum tubes for circuitry. They relied on machine language to perom operations and could solve one problem at a time. -
John Von Neumann's Report on EDVAC
John Von Neumann writes the "First Draft of a Report on EDVAC". In this he delivers a description of the general puporse of an electrionic digital computer with stored programs and the Von Neumann Architecture. The Von Neumann Architecture describes the components of an electronic digital computer. He says that it consists of a processing unit that contains a processing unit and an arithmetic logic unit, a control unic, a memory unit to store data and instructions and an input and output. -
ENIAC
The ENIAC is released to the public. Built by JOhn Mauchly and J. Presper Eckert, the ENIAC was a machine that improved on the speed of other computers before it.. -
ERA 1101
The ERA 1101 was the first commercially produced computer that was built by Engineering Research Associalts of Minneapolis. It had one of the earliest magnetic storage devices and could store 4,000 words. -
The UNIVAC 1
The UNIVAC 1 was accepted by the United States census Bureau and was the first commercial computer that attracted widespread public attention. It was designed by J. Presper Eckert and John Mauchly and was manufactured by Remingron Rand. They eventually sold 46 machines at more than $1 millon dollars each. -
The IBM 650 Magnetic Drum Calculator
The IBM 650 magnetic drum calculator was the first mass-produced computer. The 650 was a bi-quinary coded decimal computer, which meant that data and addresses were both decimal. It spun at 12,500 rpm, allowing the magnetic data-storage drum much faster access to the stored material than other drum memory machines. -
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Second Gereration
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Second Generation Computers
Second generation computers used transitors instead of vacuum tubes. The transitor allowed computers to be smaller, faster, and more reliable than first generation computers. Many second generation computers used symbolic languages to specify instructions using words. -
IBM 305 RAMAC
The IBM 305 RAMAC, "Random Access Method of Accounting and Control", is the first computer to be shipped with a hard drive. It was capable of storing 5 million characters. -
Integrated Circuits
The first integrated circuit is developed by Jack Kilby and Robert Noyce and demonstrated. The integrated curcuit is a package containing transistors, circuits, pathways, and other electronic components that all work together to perform a function. The IC is a building block of computer hardware. -
IBM Selectric Typewriter
IBM realeses the selectric typewriter. It was an electric typewriter. The Selectric had a type element that rotated to the correct position before it striked the paper. You could also change the font. The Selectric replaced the typewriter's moving carriage with a paper roller that stayed in position while the type element moved side to side. -
LINC
LINC stands for Laboratory Instrumentations Computer. It was the first to offer real time laboratory data processing. It was designed by Wesley Clark. Digital Equipment Corp. later commercialized as the LINC-8. -
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Third Generation
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Third Generation Computers
The invention of integrated circuits difined the third generation of computers. The Transistors were made smaller and increaded the efficiency and speed of computers. Users could interact with thrid generation computers with an operating system. -
PDP-8
The Digital Equipment Corporation introduces the PDP-8. The PDP-8 was the first successful comercialized minicomputer. It sold for $18,000 each. -
The Apollo Guidance Computer
The Apollo Guidance computer came out on earth in 1968. In 1969, it steered Apollo 11 to the moon's surface. Astronauts used the the computer by punching a two digit code in a syntactic category. -
Data General NOVA
The NOVA was built by the company Data General. It was packaged into one rack mount case and had enough power to perform simple tasks. It became popular in science laboratories. -
The Intel 4004 Chip
The Intel 4004 is a CPU, central processing unit, that only took up one small chip. With this small computers could be built with different sizes of memory. -
Kenbak-1
The Kenbak-1 was availible to buy. It was the first personal computer. It was designed by John V. Blankenbaker using integrated circuits. It was sold for $750 each. -
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Fourth Generation
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Fourth Generation Computers
Micrprocessors defined the fourth generation of omputers. Microprocessors made computers smaller and more efficent. -
LSI-11
The LSI-11 was the first PDP-11 model that was producesd using large-scale integration. The CPU was on four LSI ships and a fifth chip could be added if you wanted to extend the instruction set. It also included a debugger. -
Apple II
The Apple II became a huge success when it was realesed for sale on June 10, 1977. Designed by Steve Jobs, this computer had a switching power supply, keyboard, printed circuit motherboard, game paddles, cassete interface and an A/C powercord. IT also produced color. -
The Atari 2600
The Atari 2600 is a video game console that was released by the Atari Inc.. It popularized the use of microprocessor-based hardware. It also popularized the use of ROM cartridges that contained game code. -
The Osborne 1
The Osborne 1, designed by Adam Osborne, was the first successful comercial portable microcomputer. It ran the CP/M 2.2 operating system and cost $1,795. -
Macintosh
Apple's Macintosh was the first successful mouse-driven computer. It also had a graphic user interface. It included two applications, MacPaint and MacWrite. -
The Intel Pentium
Pentium is Intel's brand for a series of x86-compatible microprocessors. The original Pentium processors used microarchitecture.
