Scribd
Upload
95 views

Computer Generations

The document summarizes the five generations of computers. The first generation used vacuum tubes, took up entire rooms, and were expensive to operate. The second generation used transistors, which made computers smaller, faster, and more reliable. The third generation used integrated circuits, which further increased speed and efficiency. The fourth generation used microprocessors, putting all components on a single chip. The fifth generation involves artificial intelligence and technologies like quantum computing.

Uploaded by

ice queen
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
Available Formats
Download as PPTX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
95 views

Computer Generations

The document summarizes the five generations of computers. The first generation used vacuum tubes, took up entire rooms, and were expensive to operate. The second generation used transistors, which made computers smaller, faster, and more reliable. The third generation used integrated circuits, which further increased speed and efficiency. The fourth generation used microprocessors, putting all components on a single chip. The fifth generation involves artificial intelligence and technologies like quantum computing.

Uploaded by

ice queen
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
Available Formats
Download as PPTX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
You are on page 1/ 13

Computer Generations

Name: Rezwan Rahman


Class: VIII
Roll. No. 11
2

The Five Generations of Computer

The history of computer development is often referred to in reference to the


different generations of computing devices. Each generation of computer is
characterized by a major technological development that fundamentally changed
the way computers operate, resulting in increasingly smaller, cheaper, more
powerful, more efficient and reliable devices.
3

First Generation (1940-1956) Vacuum


Tubes
The first computers used vacuum tubes for circuitry and magnetic drums for
memory, and were often enormous, taking up entire rooms. They were 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. First
generation computers relied on machine language, the lowest-level programming
language understood by computers, to perform operations, and they could only
solve one problem at a time. Input was based on punched cards and paper tape,
and output was displayed on printouts. The UNIVAC and ENIAC computers are
examples of first-generation computing devices. The UNIVAC was the first
commercial computer delivered to a business client, the U.S. Census Bureau in
1951.
4

Vacuum Tubes
5

Second Generation (1956-1963)


Transistors
Transistors replaced vacuum tubes and ushered in the second generation of computers.
The transistor was invented in 1947 but did not see widespread use in computers until
the late 1950s. 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.
6

Transistors
7

Third Generation (1964-1971) Integrated


Circuits
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.
8

Integrated Circuits
9

Fourth Generation (1971-Present)


Microprocessors
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.
10

Microprocessors
11

Fifth Generation (Present and Beyond)


Artificial Intelligence
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.
12

Artificial Intelligence
Thank You!

You might also like