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First Generation
First Generation: Vacuum Tubes 1940-1956 The first computer systems used vacuum tubes for circuitry and magnetic
drums for memory and were often enormous, taking up entire rooms. These
computers were very expensive to operate and in addition to using a great deal of
electricity, the first computers generated a lot of heat, which was often the cause of
main functions.
The main features of the first generation are:
-Vacuum tube technology
-Unreliable, Supported machine
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Second Generation
Second Generation: Transistors 1956-1963 The world would see transistors replace vacuum tubes in the second generation of
computers. The transistor was invented at Bell Labs in 1947 but did not see widespread use in computers until the late 1950s. 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. -
Third Generation
Third Generation:
Integrated Circuits 1964-1971 The development of the integrated circuit was the hallmark of the third generation of
computers. Transistors were miniaturized and placed on Silicon com called semiconductors, which drastically increased the speed computers. instead of punched cards and printouts, users interact with third generation computers through keyboards and monitors and interfaced with an operating System. -
Fourth Generation
Fourth Generation: Microprocessors (1971-Present) The microprocessor brought the fourth generation of computers, as thousands of
integrated circuits were built onto a single silicon chip.
What in the first generator filled an entire room could now fit in the palm of the hand. The Intel 4004 chip developed in 1971. located all the components of the computer from the central processing unit and memory to input/output controls-on a single chip. -
Fifth Generation
Fifth Generation:
Artificial Intelligence (Present and Beyond) Fifth generation computing devices, based on artificial intelligence are still in
development, though there are some applications, such as voice recognition that
are being used today The use of parallel processing and superconductors is helping
to make artificial intelligence a reality.
Quantum computation and molecular and nanotechnology will radically change the
face of computers in years to come.
