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Beginning of the First Generation of Computers
Computers were powered by vacuum tubes and used magnetic drums to store data and memory. They were very expensive to make and run, slow and had limited application capabilities. -
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The Evolution of Computers
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End of the First Generation of Computers
There were many problems with the first generation computers. -
Beginning of the Second Generation of Computers
The vacuum tubes were no longer the best thing for running a computer, the latest component to replace the vacuum tubes is a transistor. The transistor had a major influence on the development of electronics as it was more reliable than the first generation. It made the computers smaller, faster, cheaper and more efficient to run. -
End of the Second Generation of Computers
Computers were still generating a lot of heat which resulted in the damage of sensitive internal parts of the computer. -
Beginning of the Third Generation of Computers
Integrated circuits allowed to place miniaturised transistors on silicon chips. And of course the better technology enhanced the speed and efficiency and was much smaller and cheaper to run and the computers were made to be more accessible and affordable to a mass audience. Punched cards and printouts were replaced by keyboards and monitors and the first operating system was created to allow multiple applications to run on one computer. -
End of the Third Generation of Computers
You can probably see the modern computer starting to take shape as the evolution of computers goes on. Computers were getting faster and using less energy and money to run and more affordable for the average person to buy. -
Beginning of the Fourth Generation of Computers
When microprocessors where invented in 1971, the era of mass usage of computers began. The 4th generation was started by the Intel 4004 chip. Microprocessors have thousands of integrated circuits on one silicon chip. This chip contained the CPU, memory and input/output controls – a lot more advanced that the last 3 generations. 10 years later, IBM introduced the first computer that was dedicated to the home user. Then three years later, Apple introduced Macintosh. -
End of the Fourth Generation of Computers
The 4th generation is still the present generation of computers. The development of computer networks began and this lead to the invention of the Internet. In the last generation keyboards and monitors were invented, in this generation we saw the invention of the mouse, GUI and other features. The usage of microprocessors expanded and in present day, the majority of electronic devices used microprocessors or micro-controllers. It is not known when this generation will end. -
The Present and Future of Computers
It is amazing to see how the computer has developed, from a computer that filled a large room to what we have in the workplace and at home today – a smaller, faster version of the 1st computer. But how has the development of computers changed the way we work, find information and communicate. As time has gone on, computers have had a dramatic impact on the way we think and work. -
End of the Present and Future of Computers
With computers, we are able to work quicker and more efficiently because of how advanced they are. They can store masses of memory and data and you can open up many applications on the internet to help with your work. Computers have also shrinked in size and become easier to steal. Have computers changed the world too much? Or are we comfortable with what we have and do we need the computer to advanced to another generation? It is not known when this will end.
