Generations of Computer

GENERATIONS OF COMPUTER

     The history of computer development is often referred to in reference to the different generations of computing devices. A generation refers to the state of improvement in the product development process. This term is also used in the different advancements of new computer technology. With each new generation, the circuitry has gotten smaller and more advanced than the previous generation before it. 

     As a result of the miniaturization, speed, power, and computer memory has proportionally increased. New discoveries are constantly being developed that affect the way we live, work and play.

     Each generation of computers is characterized by major technological development that fundamentally changed the way computers operate, resulting in increasingly smaller, cheaper, and more powerful and more efficient and reliable devices. 

     Read about each generation and the developments that led to the current devices that we use today. The generations which are divided in to fifth categories can be describe as:

Generations	Period	Technology
Early Period	1000 BC-1940	Many As describe in previous Chapter
First Generation	1942-1955	Vacuums Tube
Second Generation	1955-1964	Transistors
Third Generation	1964-1975	Integrated Circuits (ICs)
Forth Generation	Since 1975	Microprocessor/Large   Scale Integration
Fifth Generation	Since 1980	Artificial Intelligence

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THE EARLY DAYS (1,000 B.C. TO 1940):

     Computers are named so because they make mathematical computations at fast speeds. As a result, the history of computing goes back at least 3,000 years ago, when ancient civilizations were making great strides in arithmetic and mathematics. The Greeks, Egyptians, Babylonians, Indians, Chinese, and Persians were all interested in logic and numerical computation. The Greeks focused on geometry and rationality, the Egyptians on simple addition and subtraction, the Babylonians on multiplication and division, Indians on the base-10 decimal numbering system and concept of zero, the Chinese on trigonometry, and the Persians on algorithmic problem solving. 

     These developments carried over into the more modern centuries, fueling advancements in areas like astronomy, chemistry, and medicine.

     (All other history from abacus to UNIVAC-I describe in previous Chapter)

FIRST GENERATION (1942 - 1955):

    The first computers used vacuum tubes for circuitry and magnetic drums for memory, and were often enormous, taking up entire rooms. First generation computers relied on machine language to perform operations, and they could only solve one problem at a time.

     The Mark-I, EDSAC, EDVAC, UNIVAC-I and ENIAC computers are examples of first-generation computing devices. It was very expensive to operate and in addition to using a great deal of electricity, generated a lot of heat, which was often the cause of malfunctions. 

     Vacuum tubes used to calculate and store information, these computers were also very hard to maintain. First generation computers also used punched cards to store symbolic programming languages. Most people were indirectly affected by this first generation of computing machines and knew little of their existence.

FIRST GENERATION 

IMPORTANT MACHINES:

Mark-I, EDSAC, EDVAC, UNIVAC-I and ENIAC

ADVANTAGES:

1. After long history of computations, the 1G computers are able to process any tasks in milliseconds.

2. The hardware designs are functioned and programmed by machine languages (Languages close to machine understanding).

3. Vacuum tube technology is very much important which opened the gates of digital world communication.

DISADVANTAGES:

1. Size of that machines are very big

2. Required large amount of energy for processing

3. Very expensive

4. Heat generated and need air conditioning.

5. Not portable ( never take from one place to other)

6. Comparing with 5G computers, these computers are slow in speed.

7. Not reliable

8. In order to get proper processing, maintenance is required continuously.

SECOND GENERATION (1942 - 1955):

     Transistors replaced vacuum tubes and ushered in the second generation computer. Transistor is a device composed of semiconductor material that amplifies a signal or opens or closes a circuit. Invented in 1947 at Bell Labs, transistors have become the key ingredient of all digital circuits, including computers. Today's latest microprocessor contains tens of millions of microscopic transistors.

     Prior to the invention of transistors, digital circuits were composed of vacuum tubes, which had many disadvantages. They were much larger, required more energy, dissipated more heat, and were more prone to failures. It's safe to say that without the invention of transistors, computing as we know it today would not be possible.

The transistor was invented in 1947 but did not see widespread use in computers until the late 50s. 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. Though the transistor still generated a great deal of heat that subjected the computer to damage, it was a vast improvement over the vacuum tube. Second-generation computers still relied on punched cards for input and printouts for output.      Second-generation computers moved from cryptic binary machine language to symbolic, or assembly, languages, which allowed programmers to specify instructions in words. High-level programming languages were also being developed at this time, such as early versions of COBOL and FORTRAN. These were also the first computers that stored their instructions in their memory, which moved from a magnetic drum to magnetic core technology. The first computers of this generation were developed for the atomic energy industry. Second Generation IMPORTANT MACHINES: IBM 7074 series, CDC 164, IBM 1400 Series. ADVANTAGES: 1. If we compare it with G1 computer, less expensive and smaller in size. 2. Fast in speed 3. Less head generated as G1 computers generate more. 4. Need low power consumption 5. Language after machine language for programming, in G2 assembly language (COBOL,FORTRON) is introduced for programming. 6. Portable. DISADVANTAGES: 1. Maintenance of machine is required. 2. Air conditioning required still as heat causes to process slowly. 3. These computers are not used as personal system.  4. Preferably used for commercial purposes THIRD GENERATION (1964 - 1975):      The development of the Integrated Circuit was the hallmark of the third generation of computers. Transistors were miniaturized and placed on silicon chips, called semiconductors, which drastically increased the speed and efficiency of computers.      Instead of punched cards and printouts, users interacted with third generation computers through keyboards and monitors and interfaced with an operating system, which allowed the device to run many different applications at one time with a central program that monitored the memory. Computers for the first time became accessible to a mass audience because they were smaller and cheaper than their predecessors.    Third Generation IMPORTANT MACHINES: IBM System/360 & IBM 370, PDP-8, DEC, UNIVAC 1108, UNIVAC 9000. ADVANTAGES: 1. Smaller in size 2. Low cost then previous 3. Low power consumption 4. Easy to operate 5. Portable 6. Input devices introduced and that make user easy to interact with it like keyboard, mouse etc 7. External Storage medium introduced like floppy & tape. DISADVANTAGES: 1. IC chips are still difficult to maintain 2. Need complex technology. FOURTH GENERATION (1975 ONWARDS):      The Microprocessor brought the fourth generation of computers, as thousands of integrated circuits were built onto a single silicon chip. What in the first generation 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.       In 1981 IBM introduced its first computer for the home user, and in 1984 Apple introduced the Macintosh. Microprocessors also moved out of the realm of desktop computers  and into many areas of life as more and more everyday products began to use microprocessors.       As these small computers became more powerful, they could be linked together to form networks , which eventually led to the development of the Internet. Fourth generation computers also saw the development of GUIs, the mouse and handheld devices.   FOURTH GENERATION IMPORTANT MACHINES: Intel processors, AMD processor based machines ADVANTAGES: 1. Smaller in size 2. High processing speed 3. Very reliable 4. For general purpose 5. More external storage mediums are introduced like CD-ROM, DVD-ROM. 6. GUIs developed for interaction FIFTH GENERATION (1980 ONWARDS):      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.       The goal of fifth-generation computing is to develop devices that respond to natural language input and are capable of learning and self-organization. FIFTH GENERATION IMPORTANT MACHINES: ULAIC Technology, Artificial intelligence etc PROPERTIES 1. Program independent 2. Have thinking and analysis by its own 3. Voice reorganization & biometric devices 4. Self organization and learning