The history of computers progressed through five generations from vacuum tubes to modern artificial intelligence. Early computers from 1940-1956 used vacuum tubes and magnetic drums and were enormous, filling entire rooms. Transistors from 1956-1963 made computers smaller, faster, cheaper, and more reliable. Integrated circuits from 1964-1971 placed components on silicon chips, further increasing speed. Microprocessors from 1971 onward could be linked in networks, leading to the development of the internet. Current and future artificial intelligence uses parallel processing and machine learning to develop more human-like devices.

1. THE HISTORY OF COMPUTERS
Lauren Clark

2. VACUUM TUBES – 1ND GEN.
• (1940 – 1956)
• Used vacuum tubes for circuitry and magnetic drums for memory.
• Enormous and took up small rooms.
• First computer was developed by Amy Ordnance
• Invented to compute WWII ballistic firing tables

3. TRANSISTORS 2ND GEN.
• (1956 – 1963)
• smaller, faster, cheaper, more energy efficient, and more reliable
• Developed for the atomic energy industry
• Moved from magnetic drum to magnetic core technology
• moved from cryptic binary machine language to symbolic

4. INTEGRATED CIRCUITS 3RD GEN.
• (1964 – 1971)
• Even smaller than transistors
• Placed on silicon chips called semiconductors which increased speed of computers
• Users used keyboards and monitors
• Could run multiple applications at one time

5. MICROPROCESSORS 4TH GEN.
• (1971 – present)
• Could be linked together to form networks
• Lead to Development of internet
• GUIs, the mouse and handheld devices were developed

6. ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE 5TH GEN.
• (Present and Beyond)
• Still developing
• Voice recognition is an example that we use today
• Parallel processing is helping to make AI possible.
• goal is to develop devices that respond to natural
language input and are capable of learning
and self-organization.