The document discusses the five generations of computers from 1940 to present. The 1st generation used vacuum tubes and were large, expensive to operate, and could only solve one problem at a time. The 2nd generation used transistors, which made computers smaller, faster, cheaper, and more energy efficient. The 3rd generation used integrated circuits and silicon chips, allowing input via keyboards and output to monitors. The 4th generation used microprocessors and were more user friendly with graphical interfaces. Current 5th generation computers are still in development and focus on artificial intelligence.

1. Computer Generations
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2. 1st Generation -> 1940 - 1956
VACUUM TUBES

3. VACUUM TUBES

4. VACUUM TUBES

5. • Used vacuum tubes
• Was large in size
• Very expensive to operate
• High electricity consumption.
• Generated a high volume of heat.
• Depended on machine language which is in
the binary format.

6. • Could only solve one problem at a time.
– Speed of instructions up to
10,000 Instructions per second (IPS)
• Input was based on punched cards and paper
tapes
• Output was displayed on printouts.
• Examples of 1st generation computers
– UNIVAC ‘Universal Automatic Calculator’
– ENIAC ‘Electronic Numerical Integrator & Computer’

7. 2nd Generation -> 1956 - 1963

8. • Used transistors instead of vacuum tubes.
• The ‘Transistor’ was invented in 1947.
• Transistors helped computers to become
– Smaller
– More faster (200,000- 300,000 IPS)
– Cheaper
– More energy efficient
– More reliable than 1st generation computers.

9. • Still used punch cards for inputs & printouts
for outputs.
• Changed from machine or binary language to
symbolic or assembly language.
• This helped programmers to give instructions
in words.
• E.g.- IBM 1620 UNIVAC 1108

10. 3rd Generation -> 1964 - 1971
Integrated Circuit

11. • In this stage used ‘Integrated Circuits’.
• Also used ‘semiconductors’ where transistors were
placed on silicon chips .
• Data input was through keyboards.
• Output was taken on to monitors.
• E.g.-HONEY WELL-6000 SERIES

12. • Started using an operating systems where we
can run many applications.
• Computers were accessible for a wide range of
people
– Because they were ;
• Smaller in size
• & cheaper in price than 2nd generation computers.
• Speed up to 5 Million Instructions per second (MIPS)

13. 4th Generation ->1971 to present

17. • Started to use ‘Microprocessors’ known as
Central Processing Unit.
• More user friendly computers were
introduced like ‘GUI’-Graphical User Interface-
through OS.
• E.g.- Apple-ii IBM-PC

18. • Special features are;
– These are more powerful
– Very low price than other generations.
– Smaller
– Large memory space available (Specially for
Storage)
– Speed up to 200 MIPS

19. 5th Generation ->> Artificial Intelligence

20. • Computers based on artificial intelligence
which are still on development.
• The goal of these computers is to develop
computers that can respond to natural
languages.

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