4. GENERATIONS OF COMPUTER
• A generation refers to the state of
improvement in the development of a
product. This term is also used in the
different advancements of computer
technology.
• With each new generation, the circuitry
has gotten smaller and more advanced
than the previous generation before it.
5. GENERATIONS.
• Currently, there
are five
generations of
computer.
• Comparison of
the technology
used by them
(hardware and
software),
computing
characteristics
(speed, i.e.,
number of
instructions
executed per
second),
physical
appearance,
and their
applications
First Generation The period of first
generation : 1942-1955. Vacuum tube based
Second Generation The period of second
generation : 1955-1964. Transistor based.
Third Generation The period of third
generation : 1964-1975. Integrated Circuit
based.
Fourth Generation The period of fourth
generation : 1975-1990. LIC and VLIC
microprocessor based.
Fifth Generation The period of fifth
generation : 1990-onwards.ULIC
microprocessor , Nanotechnology
6. The UNIVAC (universal automated computer) was the first
commercial computer delivered to a business client, the U.S.
Census Bureau in 1951 developed by Mauchly and Eckert.
• Generation period: 1942-1955
• Basic component: vacuum tubes
• For Storage: magnetic drums
EXAMPLES:
ENIAC - Electronic Numerical Integrator And Calculator
EDSAC – Electronic Delay Storage Automatic Calculator
EDVAC – Electronic Discrete Variable Automatic Computer
UNIVAC – Universal Automatic Computer
7. Vacuum tube is a device that
controls electric
current between electrodes in
an evacuated container. Vacuum
tubes mostly rely on thermionic
emission of electrons from a
hot filament or a cathode heated
by the filament.
A vacuum tube is a device
generally used to amplify a signal
by controlling the movement of
electrons in an evacuated space.
VACUUM TUBES
9. Calculate data in
milliseconds
Vacuum tubes were the
only electronic devices
available those days
Vacuum tubes
technology made
possible to make
electronic digital
computers.
Non portable i.e large in
size
Vacuum tubes burn
frequently
They were producing heat
Maintainance problems
Machine language only
Punch cards for input
Consumed a lot of
electricity
ADVANTAGES DISADVANTAGES
10. SECOND GENERATION COMPUTER
o period: 1955-1964
o Basic component: Transistor
o American physicists John Bardeen, Walter
Brattain, and William Shockley in Bell laboratories
EXAMPLES:
• IBM 1620
• IBM 7094
• CDC 1604
• CDC 3600
11. TRANSISTOR is
a semiconductor
device used
to amplify or switch elec
tronic signals
and electrical power It is
composed
of semiconductor materi
al usually with at least
three terminals for
connection to an
external circuit.
SECOND
GENERATION
COMPUTER
12. Smaller size
Used less energy
Better portability
Faster peripherals like
tape drivers, magnetic
disks
Assembly language
More accuracy and
reliability
Wider commercial use
Processing data in
microseconds
Punch cards continued
during this period also.
Constant maintainance
was required
Commercial production
was difficult
Cooling system was
required
Costly and not versatile
Still very costly
Only used for specific
purposes
ADVANTAGES DISADVANTAGES
13. THIRD GENERATION COMPUTER:
Period: 1964-1975
Basic component: integrated circuit
A single I.C has many transistors,
resistors and capacitors along with the
associated circuitry. The I.C was invented
by Jack Kilby. Transistors were
miniaturized and placed on silicon chips,
called semiconductors, which drastically
increased the speed and efficiency of
computers
EXAMPLES:
IBM-360 series
Honeywell-6000
PDP (Personal Data Processor)
TDC-316
IC
INTEGRATED
CIRCUITS
14. Versatile to extent
Commercial production increased
Support high level language
Consumed lesser electricity
Lesser maintenance
Faster and can calculate data in nanoseconds
Input devices key board and mouse
Good storage
Use fan for heat discharge
Generate less heat
Smaller size
Highly sophisticated technology required for the
manufacturing of IC chips
Air conditioning was required
ADVANTAGES
DISADVAN
TAGES
15. FOURTH GENERATION
COMPUTER
PERIOD: 1975-Present
Basic Component: Microprocessor
thousands of integrated circuits were built onto a
single silicon chip. Ted Hoff invented the first
microprocessor in 1971 for Intel. 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.
LSI (large scale integration)
VLSI (very large scale integration)
EXAMPLES:
DEC 10, STAR 1000, PDP 11, CRAY-1(Super Computer
17. DISADVANTAGE
Latest technology is
required for
manufacturing of
microprocessor
ADVANTAGES
VLSI technology used
Very cheap
Portable and reliable
Very small size
Pipeline processing
No A.C. needed
Concept of internet was introduced
Great developments in the fields of
networks
Computers became easily available
18. FIFTH GENERATION COMPUTER
artificial intelligence
voice recognition.
Quantum computation and nanotechnology
natural language input
capable of learning and self-organization.
Respond to environment
neural networks
EXAMPLE
robots