Generations of Computer

Introduction
• The computer has evolved from a large-sized simple
calculating machine to a smaller but much more
powerful machine.

• The evolution of computer to the current state is

defined in terms of the generations of computer.

• Each generation of computer is designed based on a

new technological development, resulting in better,
cheaper and smaller computers that are more
powerful, faster and efficient than their predecessors.
 Introduction Contd…
• There are five generations of computer.
• We will discuss the generations of computer in
terms 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 Computer(1940-1956)
• The first computers used vacuum tubes(a sealed glass tube
containing a near-vacuum which allows the free passage of
electric current.) for circuitry and magnetic
drums for memory.
• They were often enormous and taking up entire room.
• First generation computers relied on machine language.
• 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(defect or
breakdown).
• The UNIVAC and ENIAC computers are examples of first-
generation computing devices.
First Generation Computer Contd…
Advantages :
• It was only electronic device
• First device to hold memory

Disadvantages :
• Too bulky i.e large in size
• Vacuum tubes burn frequently
• They were producing heat
• Maintenance problems
Second Generation of Computer(1956-
1963)
• Transistors replaced vacuum tubes and ushered
in the second generation of computers.
• Second-generation computers moved from
cryptic binary machine language to symbolic.
• 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.
 Second Generation of Computer
Contd…
Advantages :
• Size reduced considerably
• The very fast
• Very much reliable

Disadvantages :
• They over heated quickly
• Maintenance problems
 Third Generation Computers
(1964-1971)
• The development of the integrated circuit was
the hallmark of the third generation of
computers.
• Transistors were miniaturized and placed
on siliconchips, called semiconductors.
• Instead of punched cards and printouts, users
interacted with third generation computers
through keyboards and monitors and interfaced
with an operating system.
• Allowed the device to run many
different applications at one time.
 Third Generation Computers
Advantages :
• ICs are very small in size
• Improved performance
• Production cost cheap

Disadvantages :
• ICs are sophisticated
 Fourth Generation Computers
(1971-present)
• The microprocessor brought the fourth
generation of computers, as thousands of
integrated circuits were built onto a single silicon
chip.
• 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.
• Fourth generation computers also saw the
development of GUIs, the mouse and
handheld devices.
Fourth Generation Computers
 Fifth Generation Computers
(present and beyond)
• Fifth generation computing devices, based
on artificial intelligence.
• Are still in development, though there are some
applications, such as voice recognition.
• The use of parallel processing and
superconductors is helping to make artificial
intelligence a reality.
• The goal of fifth-generation computing is to
develop devices that respond to natural
language input and are capable of learning and
self-organization.