What are the five Generations of Computer

Classification of computer by Age of Technology

This classification is also referred to as generations of computers.

First Generation - 1940-1956: Vacuum Tubes

Second Generation - 1956-1963: Transistors

Third Generation - 1964-1971: Integrated Circuits

Fourth Generation - 1971-Present: Microprocessors

Fifth Generation - Present and Beyond: Artificial Intelligene

The Five Generations of Computer

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 and more efficient and reliable devices. Read about each generation and the developments that led to the current devices that we use today. 

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. A UNIVAC computer at the Census Bureau. Image Source: United States Census Bureau.

Characteristics of First Generation of Computer are: 

Ø  Very big, taking up entire rooms

Ø  Very expensive to operate

Ø  Using a great deal of electricity Generated a lot of heat

Ø  Often malfunctions

Ø  Relied on machine language to perform operations Able to solve only one problem at a time. 

Their input was based on punched cards and paper tape. The Output was displayed on printouts. The UNIVAC and ENIAC computers are examples of first-generation computing devices. 

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 transistors are far superior to the vacuum tubes, allowing computers
to become smaller, faster, cheaper, more energy-efficient and more reliable than their first-generation predecessors.

Though the transistors still generated a great deal of heat that subjected the computers 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 memories, which moved from a magnetic drum to magnetic core technology. The first computers of this generation were developed for the atomic energy industry.

Characteristics of Second Generation of Computer are:

Ø  The computers become smaller

Ø  They are faster, cheaper and are more energy-efficient They are more reliable than the first-generation computers.  They used assembly language to perform operations

Ø  Generated lesser heat

Ø  Second-generation computers still relied on punched cards for input and printouts for output.  These were the first computers that stored their instructions in their memory, which moved from a magnetic drum to magnetic core technology. 

Ø  The first computers of this generation were developed for the atomic energy industry. 

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 (O.S), 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.

Characteristics of Computers in this Generation are:

Ø  They were smaller and cheaper than their predecessors.

Ø  Drastical increase in speed 

Ø  The computers are highly efficient 

Ø  Keyboard is used as input device

Ø  Monitor and printouts are used for output 

Ø  Users interacted with the third generation computers through 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.

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 chips, 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 users, 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 other hand-held devices.

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. 

Fifth Generation - Present and Beyond: Artificial Intelligence

Fifth generation computing devices are based on artificial intelligence. They are still in development. Applications that have been developed so far in this generation are: 

·         Voice recognition that is being used today.

·         Parallel processing and superconductors which is helping to make artificial intelligence a reality.

·         Quantum computation, 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.

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