Introduction to
Computing Science
SSC 202
GENERATIONS OF COMPUTERS
Learning Outcomes
At the end of this unit, you should be able to:
• Explain the progression of digital computing devices across generations.
• Acquire knowledge of the advancements in hardware, designs, and
capabilities across different generations of computers
GENERATIONS OF COMPUTERS
Generations of Digital Computers
Each generation of digital computers is distinguished by the technology,
programming language, application and functionality of the computers. Now,
let us consider the generations one after the other.
1. First Generation: Vacuum tubes (1940–
1956)
The computer systems made in this generation were not purely electronic
computers. Instead, they were electromechanical computers constructed from
switches, relays, rotating shafts, and clutches. This generation computer was the
first programmable computer made of vacuum tubes for circuitry and
magnetic drums for main memory. They were often enormous, taking up entire
rooms. These computers were very expensive to operate, and in addition to
using a great deal of electricity, they generated a lot of heat, which led to their
malfunctioning. It has a maximum internal storage capacity of 20,000
characters
Continuation-
First Generation: Vacuum tubes (1940–
1956)
It would take operators two weeks to set up a new problem. Input was based
on punched cards and paper tape, and output was displayed on printouts.
In this generation, the Von Neumann architecture was introduced, which
forms the framework of an electronic digital computer. It was
developed by Howard Aiken and his team at Harvard University. the UNIVAC
and ENIAC computers, invented by J. Presper Eckert, became examples of
first-generation digital computers
2. Second Generation: Transistors (1956–1963)
These computers were invented to replace vacuum tubes with transistors. The
transistor was invented at Bell Labs in 1947, but did not see widespread computer use
until the late 1950s. This generation of computers also included hardware advances
like magnetic core memory, magnetic tape, and the magnetic disk
However, the transistors were far superior to the vacuum tubes, allowing
computers to become miniaturized, faster, cheaper more energy-efficient, and more
reliable than their first generation
vacuum tubes. Though the transistor still generated a great deal of heat that
subjected the computer to damage
Continuation-
Second Generation: Transistors (1956–1963)
• A second generation computer still relied on punched cards for input and
printouts for output. Core memory was introduced, and disk storage was also
used. These were also the first computers with instructions stored in their
memory, and they moved from a magnetic drum to magnetic core
technology. High-level programming languages, such as early versions of
COBOL and FORTRAN, were also being developed at this time.
3. Third Generation: Integrated circuits
(1964–1971)
The development of the Integrated circuit was the distinguishing
characteristic of the third generation of computers. Transistors were reduced
and placed on silicon chips, called semiconductors, which significantly increased
the speed and efficiency of computers. The explosion in the use of computers
began with "third generation "computers. Computers at this time were made
with Integrated circuits (IC). Integrated circuits (IC), which later led to the
invention of the microprocessor by Ted Hoff, Federico Faggin, and Stanley
Mazor at Intel, was an independent invention of Jack St. Clair Kilby and Robert
Noyce.
Continuation-
Third Generation: Integrated circuits
(1964–1971)
ICs (Integrated circuits) were again smaller, cheaper, faster and more reliable than
transistors. Speeds went from the microsecond to the nanosecond (billionth) to the
picosecond (trillionth) range. ICs were used for main memory despite the disadvantage
of being volatile. Minicomputers were developed at this time Instead of punched
cards and printouts used in the earlier generations, users interact with a third-
generation computer through keyboards, monitors, and interfaces with an operating
system, allowing the device to run many different applications simultaneously. For the
first time, computers became massively accessible because they were smaller and
cheaper than their predecessors.
4. Fourth Generation: Microprocessors
(1971–Present)
• This is the generation of Very Large-Scale Integration (VLSI)equivalent to tens of
thousands of transistors incorporated on a single chip. The number of transistors
fabricated on a chip is called the scale of integration (SI). Early chips had SSI (small
SI) of tens to a few hundred. Later chips were MSI (Medium SI):hundreds to a few
thousand. Then came LSI chips (Large SI) in the thousands range.
• The Intel 4004 chip, developed in 1971, integrated all computer components, from
the central processing unit and memory to input/output controls, on a single chip.
In 1981, the International Business Machine (IBM) introduced its first personal
computer for the home user in 1984. Apple
Continuation-
Fourth Generation: Microprocessors (1971–
Present)
More powerful operating systems, such as Unix, were available on the software
side. Applications are software that becomes cheaper and easier to use.
Software development techniques have greatly improved. Fourth-generation
languages 4GLs made the development process much easier and faster. Fourth-
generation computers also saw the development of Graphic User Interfaces
(GUIs), the mouse, and handheld devices
5. Fifth Generation: Parallel processing and
Artificial
intelligence (Present and Beyond)
• The fifth generation of computer systems is characterized mainly by
accepting parallel processing and artificial intelligence (AI), which is still
in development. However, some applications, such as pattern and voice
recognition, are being used today.
The scale of integration in semiconductors continued at an incredible pace - by
1990, it was possible to build chips with a million components - and
semiconductor memories became standard on all computers. Other new
developments were the widespread use of computer networks and the
increasing use of single-user workstations
Continuation-
Fifth Generation: Parallel processing and Artificial
intelligence (Present and Beyond)
The use of parallel processing and superconductors is helping to make
artificial intelligence a reality. This is also, so far, the prime generation for
packing a large amount of storage into a compact and portable device.