The document summarizes the evolution of information technology (IT) from the 1970s to present day. It covers the evolution of computers from early mechanical devices like the abacus to modern integrated circuits. It also discusses the evolution of storage technologies from punched cards to cloud storage. Finally, it outlines the evolution of software, including operating systems from UNIX to Windows, programming languages from machine code to artificial intelligence languages, and general software applications.

1. SUBJECT - Evolution Of Information
Technology(IT)

2. Q) When did the evolution of IT begin?
Ans : The evolution of IT began in the 1970s.
Topics for the Evolution of Information Technology (IT) are listed below:
I. Evolution Of Computers - talks about changes in hardware
technologies.
 Evolution of Computing Devices
 The Generation of Computers
II. Evolution Of Storage And Display Technologies - talks about changes in
enabling technologies.
III. Evolution Of Software - talks about the changes in software over time.
 Evolution of Operating Systems
 Evolution of Programming Language
 Evolution of Software Applications

3. EVOLUTION OF COMPUTERS
 Evolution of Computing
Devices

4. Abacus
• Developed around 3000 years BC by the
Mesopotamians and later improved by Chinese.
• An abacus consists of beads divided into two
parts which are movable on the rods of the two
parts.
• Addition and multiplication etc. of numbers is
done by using the place value of the digits of the
numbers and position of beads in the abacus.
Napier’s ‘Logs’ and ‘Bones’
• Also called Napier’s rods, are numbered
rods (10 in total) which can be used to
perform multiplication of any number by a
number 2-9.
• For example, to multiply 6 by 58, the index
bone is placed beside the 5 and 8 bones.
3000 BC
1550
to
1617

5. Blaise Pascal’s Adding Machine
(1642)
• A machine made up of gears which were used for
adding numbers quickly.
• It consisted of numbered toothed wheels having
unique position values. The rotation of wheels
controlled the addition and subtraction
operations.
• This machine was capable of carry-transfer
automatically.
Leibnitz Calculator (1671)
Gottfried Leibnitz, a German mathematician, improved
the adding machine and constructed a new machine
that was able to perform multiplication and division as
well.

6. Jacquard’s Loom (1801)
• Joseph Jacquard manufactured punched cards
and used them to control looms in.
• Thus the entire control weaving process was
automatic. The entire operation was under a
program’s control.
• With the historic invention of punched cards,
the era of storing and retrieving information
started that greatly influenced the later
inventions and advancements.
(1822) Babbage’s Difference Engine
• Charles Babbage, a professor of mathematics,
developed Difference Engine machine to calculate
logarithmic tables to a high degree of precision.
• The difference engine was made to calculate
various mathematical functions such as
polynomial evaluation by finite difference.

7. Analytical Engine
• Charles Babbage designed an Analytical Engine, a general-purpose machine, a
real ancestor of the modern day computer. The Analytical Engine was mainly in
Conceptual phase and was never completed in form of a real machine.
• Analytical Engine was capable of performing different functions based on
programming; came up with important concepts like central processor,
storage area, memory, input-output devices and two major innovations like
comparisons and modification of stored information.
1833
First Program (1834)
• Ada Byron, Lady Lovelace(Daughter of poet Lord Byran) impressed with the
concept of the Analytical Engine created plans for how the machine could
calculate Bernoulli numbers.
• This is regarded as the first “computer program,” and she is the first
“programmer.”
 The US Department of Defense named a language Ada in her honour in
1979.

8. Hollerith’s Machine (1887)
• Herman Hollerith(1869-1926) fabricated what was dreamt of by
Charles Babbage.
• He fabricated the first electromechanical punched-card tabulator that
used punched cards for input, output and instructions.
• This machine was used by American Department of Census to compile
their 1880 census data and was able to complete compilation in 3
years which earlier used to take around 10 years.
• Later Hollerith founded a company that became International Business
Machines(IBM) to market the technology.
(1939) First Electronic Computer
• The prototype of first electronic computer was assembled by John Atansoff and
Cliford Barry, which was completed in 1942 using 300 vacuum tubes.
• John Atansoff came up with the concept of using binary numbers, which is still in
use.

9. Mark-I (1943)
Prof. Howard Aiken constructed Mark-I, an automatic, general purpose electro-mechanical computer, which
could multiply two 10-digit numbers in 5 seconds – a record at that time.
(1946) ENIAC (Electronic Numerical Integrator and Computer)
• Developed by Presper Eckert and John Mauchly, ENIAC was made up of 18,000 vacuum tubes and
occupied a 30 * 50 feet room.
• Programming was done by plugging wires into a patch panel and was 5000 times faster than the Howard
MARK-I.
(1946) John van Neumann Architecture- Stored- Programming Concept
Dr. John van Neumann suggested the pioneer stored program concept that proposed:
(i) Data and instructions are stored in a single read-write memory.
(ii) The memory contents are addressable by locations
(iii) Execution takes place in a sequential fashion i.e., from one instruction to the next unless modified
explicitly.

10. EVOLUTION OF COMPUTERS
 The Generation of
Computers

11. Key Features
 Big and clumsy computers that
used vacuum tubes
 Not very reliable as Electric failure
occurred regularly.
 Large air conditioners were
necessary because the computers
generated lot of heat.
 Used stored program concept
 Programming in machine language
Remarks
 Very large space requirement
 High electricity consumption.
 Generated lot of heat.
 Slow operating speed
 Restricted computing capacity
 Limited programming capabilities
Input and output devices: Either No
Input Devices (Hardware programs )
or Control Panel with Switches
(used in UNIVAC)
Memory Type : Magnetic Drums
Storage: Punched cards and paper Tapes
FIRST GENERATION (1940-1956) – Vacuum Tubes
The first generation computers were huge ,slow, expensive and often
unreliable. It used vacuum tubes for circuitry.
Major computers : ENIAC (Electronic Numerical Integrator And Calculator), EDVAC (Electronic
Discrete Variable Automatic Computer), EDSAC( Electronic Delay Storage Automatic Computer),
UNIVAC-I (built by Univac division of Remington Rand)

12. SECOND GENERATION (1956-1963)- Transistors
The creation of transistor sparked the production of a wave of second generation
computer. Transistor was a small device used to transfer the electronic signals
across a resistor . Transistors had many advantages compared to vacuum tubes.
Key Features
• Transistor replaced vacuum tubes.
• Smaller in size compared to 1st
generation computers.
• Generated lesser heat than earlier
computer.
• Lower electricity consumption.
• More reliable and faster .
• Programming in machine language
as well as assembly language.
Remarks
 Not General –purpose computers
- mostly suitable to scientific and
bulk data processing tasks only; not
for business purposes.
 The machines were costly.
 Frequent maintenance required.
Input and Output Devices :
Teletypewriters and punched cards
Memory Type : Magnetic Core
Storages: Magnetic Tape, Hard-disk
Major computers :- IBM 1400 and 7000 Series, Control Data 3600 etc.

13. THIRD GENERATION (1964-1971) - Integrated Circuits
 The development of integrated circuits (IC) in 1961, signaled the beginning of the third generation
computers the integrated circuit technology, which had reduced the size and cost of computers
enormously.
 It is also known as semiconductor.
Key Features
• Integrated circuits
• Computers smaller, faster and
more reliable
• Lower power consumption
Remarks
• Proved to be highly reliable,
relatively inexpensive , and
faster.
• High-level languages developed
• Size of main memories reached
about 4 MBs and storage drive
capacities reached up to 100
MBs
 Less human labour was
required at assembly stage.
Input and Output Devices :
Keyboards, Printer
Memory Type : Core Memory &
DRAM chips
Storage : Hard disk, Floppy
Disc
Major computers : IBM-360, ICL-1900,2900 & 2903, Honeywell 316 or 6000

14. Key Features
• Large and Very Large Integrated
circuits, (LSI & VLSI)
• Microcomputer series such as IBM
and APPLE developed.
 Portable computers developed.
 Great development in data
communication.
 Programming in High Level
Languages.
Remarks
 Computer costs came down so
rapidly that these found
places at most offices and
homes.
 Smaller and faster.
 More speed, Reliability,
Storage capability
 Personal software Industry
boomed.
Input and Output Devises : Keyboard,
mouse, joysticks, speakers etc.
Memory : Memory chips
Storage: Hard disk, Floppy disks,
CD,DVD, Blu-ray discs.
Major computers: Pentium(p5,dual core, quad core etc.), Power PC, AMD, Apple Dell etc.
FOURTH GENERATION (1971-PRESENT)- Microprocessors
In 1971 Intel created the first microprocessor and the era of fourth generation computers started
. During the fourth generation, hardware technology such as silicone chips, microprocessor, and
storage devices were invented.
 Microprocessor is developed for computer memory and logic.

15. Key Features
• Parallel-processing- many
processors are grouped to
function as one large group
processor.
• Superconductors- it is a
conductor through which
electricity can travel without
any resistance resulting in faster
transfer of information between
the components of a computer.
Remarks
Found applications in:
• Intelligent systems that could control
the route of a missile and defense-
systems that could fend off attacks
• Word processors that could be
controlled by means of speech
recognition.
• Programs that could translate
documents from one language to
another.
Input and Output Devices :
Keyboard, mouse, joysticks, voice
input
Memory : Memory chips
Storage : Hard disk, CD, DVD, Flash
memories, blu-ray discs, cloud
FIFTH GENERATION (PRESENTS & BEYOND)-Artificial Intelligence
The fifth generation computers are technologically advance and are still being developed to become more
efficient, though there are some applications, such as voice recognition, advanced robotics that are being
used today. The use of parallel processing and superconductors is helping to make artificial intelligence a
reality.
Major Computers : Many Robots and Robotic Devices

16. EVOLUTION OF STORAGE AND DISPLAY
TECHNOLOGY

17. Evolution of Storage and Display Technologies
The electronic revolution started from 18`th -19th century and changed the human life forever. The
associated data storage technologies also evolved with computer evolution. Let us learn how these
storage technologies evolved over time.
Machine -
Readable
Punched Card
(1890)
Herman Hollerith invented a punch-card that could be read
by a machine.
Magnetic
Drum
(1932)
• Invented in Austria, the magnetic drum was an early form
of computer memory.
• Electromagnetic pulse was stored by changing the
magnetic orientation of ferromagnetic particles on the
drum.
Magnetic Tape
(1951)
• Magnetic tape used magnetic pulses to store data over
magnetized tapes.
• They had the capacity of storing as many as 10,000 punch
cards.
• They became very popular as backup media.

18. Hard Disk Drive
(1958)
• It is a set of magnetized circular platters that store
data as magnetic dots.
• Introduced as data storage for IBM computers, these
devices were not very popular in 1960s and 1970s due
their immense size and price.
• In 1990s they were the most popular data storage
devices.
Floppy Disk
(1969)
• Floppy Disk is a thin flexible magnetic disk, covered
by a protective plastic jacket.
• The earliest floppy disks stored data upto 80 KB of
data.
• Inexpensive and mobile floppy disks were considered
a revolution in data storage.
Optical Storage
Media
CD (1980s),
DVD s(1990s)
• CD (Compact Disks) were created in 1980s by Philips
and Sony as replacement of aging floppy disks.
• DVD (Digital Video Disks), created in 1990s, were
the next evolution of CD.
• A DVD could store more data of upto 8-10 CDs.

19. Flash Drive
(1998)
• A flash drive a solid state memory.
• It is a inexpensive, small, compact and mobile storage media that
has successfully replaced the floppy disks from storage scene.
Blue ray Disks
(2000)
The next-generation optical disk can store enormous amount of
data in its storage space of 400 nanometers.
The Cloud
(21st Century)
Similar to how data is stored on the internet, cloud storage allows
data to be stored on multiple servers, which are generally hosted by
a third party.
Just like storage technologies, the display technologies also evolved
over time. Following lines briefly enlist the evolution of Display
Technologies.

20. CRT
(Cathode Ray Tube)
(1897)
First developed in 1897, CRTs were used in television sets and
in early computers as the display screen.
LCD
(Liquid Crystal
Display)
(1963)
• Suggested in 1963 for display screens
• LCDs first found application in watches and calculators.
• For computer displays, LCDs were permanently used in
1990s only.
Plasma Monitor
(1964)
From the first prototype release in 1964, they found space as
display screens because of their long life and wide range of
contrasts and colors.
Touch Screen
Monitors
(1965)
• Touchscreen technology, although invented in 1965
• Found its place as display technology only after Apple
released first iPhone in 2007.
OLED (Organic
Light Emitting
Display)
(1987)
• Invented in 1987
• The OLED displays were first introduced as display screens
to consumers in 2009.
• The OLED technology these days is being used in display
screens of computers, smart phones, television sets etc.

21. EVOLUTION OF SOFTWARE
Computer is a machinery that works with the help of software.
A software is a stored set – of – coded – instructions.
With the advent of computer technology, software also has evolved.
We shall be discussing evolution of software through following
categories.

22. EVOLUTION OF SOFTWARE
 Evolution of Operating Systems

23. Operating System (OS) is the most essential software for a
computer for it is the master control program that runs the
computer.
In 1960s, when computers were developed mainly for
research and scientific activities, the early operating system
was developed at Bell Labs in 1969, namely UNIX.
With the manufacturing of personal computers, in 1980 Bill
Gates and Paul Allen designed first operating system for
personal computers, namely QDOS (Quick and Dirty
Operating System) which was later released as MS-DOS
(Microsoft Disk Operating System) in 1981.
In 1991, Linus Torvalds released an operating system Kernel
namely Linux, written on the lines of UNIX and released it to
public.
Bill Gates
Paul Allen

24. Command User Interface – All the above mentioned three operating systems
UNIX, MS-DOS and Linux used commands as the way of interaction.
Graphic User Interface – With the invention of mouse, a new way of human-
computer interface was devised – the Graphical User Interface(GUI). The GUI
used graphic icons and pointing device like mouse to give instructions to
computer.
Initial computers to successfully use GUI were XeroAlto and XeroxStar in 1973.
Apple commercially released GUI based Macintosh computers in 1984.
Based on the success of Apple’s Macintosh computers Microsoft designed its GUI
based operating system known as Windows. Starting with Windows 95, many
successors of GUI based Windows Operating Systems are released by Microsoft.
Latest in the series is Windows 8 released in 2012.

25. EVOLUTION OF SOFTWARE
 Evolution of Programming
Language

26. Evolution of Programming Language
Software are developed through various programming languages. Programming
started with machine language and evolved to new- age programming systems.
1st Generation Programming
language(1GL)
Early programming was done in machine
language. So machine language is the first
generation programming language.
2ndGeneration Programming
language(2GL)
Next programming generation was the
Assembly Language programming. Together
1GL and 2GL, i.e., machine language and
assembly language are called low level
languages- easier for computer to understand
but difficult for programmers.
3rd Generation Programming
language(3GL)
The third generation programming languages
were more normal English language like and
hence easier for programmers to understand.
The 3GLs are thus also called High Level
Languages(HLLs). Many 3GLs are ALGOL,
COBOL, Fortran, BASIC, C, PASCAL etc.

27. 4th Generation Programming
language(4GL)
These programming languages are
closer to natural language than 3GLs.
Most popular 4GL is SQL(Structure
Query Language).
5th Generation Programming
language(5GL)
The fifth generation programming
languages are used mainly in Artificial
Intelligence research. Some 5GLs are
Prolog, OPS5, Mercury etc.

28. EVOLUTION OF SOFTWARE
Evolution of Software
Applications

29. Evolution of Software Application
The advancement of hardware was not sufficient to change the human life-style, had it not been supported by
software and software application. Let us see how software applications evolved over time.
Command Line Programs(1980s)- The first generation software application included compilers, device-
drivers etc, which were mainly command line programs.
Desktop Application(1990s)- With the popularity of graphical interface, GUI based desktop applications of
multiple types and forms were released: Office Application, Audio and Video players, Utility programs,
Browsers etc.
Web Application(21st century)- With Web’s availability, the next generation applications were developed
keeping world wide web in mind. Web applications were developed keeping in mind that they can be accessed
from any location over Internet.
Most popular web applications include Email clients like Gmail, Ymail etc; Social networking platform like
Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest, Quora etc. ; VoIP Programs like Skype etc. and many more.
Mobile Application(21st century)- Advent of computer technology has resulted into smartphones being
affordably available, thus mobile application were the obvious outcome.
The popular Mobile Applications development platforms are Ios, Android, Windows, which are also the most
popular mobile operating systems.