Computer
Generations
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First Generation (1941-1956)
Until 1951 computer were in possessions of
Scientists, Engineers and military
No one tried to make electronic computer
John Presper Eckert and John W. Mauchly
the first to try was a general purpose
computer
Electronic Numerical Integrator and
Computer (ENIAC) was produced by a
partnership between University of
Pennsylvania and the US government.
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Von Neumann designed the (EDVAC) Electronic
Discrete Variable Automatic Computer
(EDVAC) in 1945 with a memory to hold both a
stored program as well as data
Von Neumann's computer allowed for all the
computer functions to be controlled by a single
source.
Then in 1951 came the Universal Automatic
Computer(UNIVAC I), designed by Remington
rand and collectively owned by US census
bureau and General Electronic.
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In first generation computers, the operating
instructions or programs were specifically
built for the task for which computer was
manufactured.
So first generation computers were down
(not working) much of time
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Second Generation Computers (1956-1963)
The invention of Transistors marked the start
of the second generation.
Second generation computers also started
showing the characteristics of modern day
computers with utilities such as printers, disk
storage and operating systems.
Many financial information was processed
using these computers.
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The instructions(program) could be stored
inside the computer's memory.
High-level languages such as COBOL
(Common Business-Oriented Language) and
FORTRAN (Formula Translator) were used,
and they are still used for some applications
nowadays
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Third Generation Computers (1964-1971)
Although transistors were great deal of
improvement over the vacuum tubes, they
generated heat and damaged the sensitive
areas of the computer.
The Integrated Circuit(IC) was invented in
1958 by Jack Kilby.
It combined electronic components onto a
small silicon disc, made from quartz.
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More advancement made possible the fittings
of even more components on a small chip or a
semi conductor.
Third generation computers, the operating
systems allowed the machines to run many
different applications.
These applications were monitored and
coordinated by the computer's memory.
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Fourth Generation (1971-Present)
Fourth Generation computers are the
modern day computers.
The Size started to go down with the
improvement in the integrated circuits.
Very Large Scale Integration (VLSI) and
Ultra Large scale Integration (ULSI) ensured
that millions of components could be fit into
a small chip
It reduced the size and price of the
computers at the same time increasing
power, efficiency and reliability
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The Intel 4004 chip, developed in 1971, took
the integrated circuit one step further by
locating all the components of a computer
(central processing unit, memory, and input
and output controls) on a minuscule
chip(extremely small).
First came the minicomputers
which offered users different applications,
most famous of these the word processors
and spreadsheets
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In 1981, IBM introduced personal computers
for home and office use.
The number of personal computers in use
more than doubled from 2 million in 1981 to
5.5 million in 1982. Ten years later, 65 million
PCs were being used.
It went down from Desktop to laptops to
Palmtops.
Machintosh introduced Graphic User Interface
Networking of computers for the sharing of
data
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Local Area Networks(LAN) and Wide Area
Network(WAN), were potential benefits,
Implemented in corporations and everybody
could share data over it. Soon the internet
and World Wide Web appeared on the
computer scene and the Hi-Tech revolution
of 90's.
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Fifth Generation (Present and Beyond)
In the minds of advance research scientists
and being tested out in the laboratories.
These computers will be under Artificial
Intelligence(AI)
They will be able to take commands in a
audio visual way and carry out instructions.
Many of the operations which requires low
human intelligence will be performed by
these computers.
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Parallel Processing is coming and showing
the possibility that the power of many CPU's
can be used side by side
Computers will be more powerful than those
under central processing.
Advances in Super Conductor technology will
greatly improve the speed of information
traffic.
Future looks bright for the computers.
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