Five Generations of Computers

First Generation Computers (1951 – 1958)

Component Employed vacuum tubes in the electronic circuitry to control internal operations.
Size The sizes were very large and requiring a lot of space.
Poor reliability due to the components employed which is frequently overheated and
Reliability
burned out.
Memory capacity was approximately 200 to 3000 characters, which is quite small
Storage Capacity
compared with preset day computers.
Cost Relatively high cost for given capacity.
Processing Speed Operating speed was in milliseconds (one thousandth of a second)
Required considerable power to run including special air conditioning to get rid of
Power Requirements
tube-generated heat.
Computer instructions were performed in internal codes of machines, requiring
Software Development
extensive knowledge of the machine. Low level/Symbolic language programming.
Hardware Development The introduction of UNIVAC I marked the beginning of the first generation Computer.
Others Magnetic drum as primary internal storage medium. Punched card oriented. Dr. Grace
Hopper saw the original bug. A moth caused the operation of a computer to stop and
from then on, any computer problem or programming mistake was called a bug.

Second Generation Computers (1959 – 1964)

Component Introduction of transistors as a machine component replacing vacuum tubes.
Size The sizes were reduced compared to the first generation.
More reliable than predecessor which greatly reduced heat generated during
Reliability
operations.
Storage Capacity Memory capacity was approximately 30, 000 characters.
Components used reduced overall cost of maintaining one binary digit of
Cost
storage.
Processing Speed Operating speed was in microseconds (one millionth of a second)
Power Requirements Power requirement was further reduced.
Programs made use of symbolic languages requiring the use of translators.
Introduction and wide acceptance of high-level languages such as FORTRAN
Software Development
and COBOL. Which were machine-dependent; negate the requirements of
comprehensive knowledge of computers.
Hardware The mainframes introduced were IBM 1400 series and IBM 7000 series,
Development Honeywell 2 200, CDC 1604, Control Data 3600 and General Electric 635.
Magnetic core as primary internal storage medium. Magnetic tape oriented.
Others
Batch oriented applications. Introduction of real time processing.

Third Generation Computers (1965 – 1970)

Integrated circuits (ICs) replaced the transistors of the second generation
Component
although microscopic in size contained the equivalent or many transistors.
Smaller in size led to the emergence of minicomputers which had smaller word
Size
size, 16 compared to 32 bits.
Reliability Improved reliability and low voltage requirement.
Storage Capacity Storage capacity further increased to 500, 000 characters of min storage.
Cost Cost of storage further decreased per binary digit.
Processing Speed Operating speed was in nanoseconds (one billionth of a second)
Power Requirements Power required for operation was also further reduced.
Availability of operating systems programs to control I/O and do many tasks
Software Development previously handled by human operators. Extensive use of high level
programming languages.
Introduction of minicomputers; computers of this era were much smaller than
Hardware
their predecessors but only slightly less capable. (Ex. are IBM S/360, NCR395,
Development
and Burroughs B6500)
Magnetic core as solid-state main storage. Magnetic disk oriented. Remote
Others
processing and time-sharing. Beginning of Data Communications Technology.

Fourth Generation Computers (1970 – 1980’s)

Made use of Medium Scale Integration (MSI) and Large Scale Integrated
Component
circuits (LSI). Hundreds of circuits were placed in a chip size of a pinhead.
 Circuitry density in IC’s is referred to by level of integration. Complete circuits
were reduced to virtually microscopic sizes.
Smaller in size led to the emergence of minicomputers which had smaller word
Size
size, 16 compared to 32 bits.
Reliability Further improvement in reliability.
Storage Capacity Further increase in storage capacity.
Further reduction in cost, internal storage costs decreasing per binary digit.
Cost Reduction in extensive site preparation cost and space requirements needed for
computer systems.
Since computer was reduced in size, the distance for the power to travel were
Processing Speed
reduced a hundred times shorter.
Power Requirements Decrease in power utilization.
Availability of sophisticated programs for special applications like the Computer
Software Development
Aided Instructions (CAI) and the mathematical modeling and simulation.
Introduction of microprocessors, microcomputers (APPLE) and home
Hardware
computers. Due to utilization of microscopic sized elements, computers of this
Development
generation were of desk to top size. Ex. IBM 3033, HP 3000.
Greater versatility of I/O devices. Modular design and compatibility between
Others hardware equipment provided by different manufacturers (customers are no
longer tied to one vendor)

Fifth Generation Computers (Present and Beyond): Artificial Intelligence

This generation is still in development, though there are some applications, such as voice recognition,
that are being used today.

Artificial Intelligence is the branch of computer science concerned with making computers behave
like humans. The term was coined in 1956 by John McCarthy at the Massachusetts Institute of
Technology.
AI includes:
 Games Playing: programming computers to play games such as chess and checkers
 Expert Systems: programming computers to make decisions in real-life situations
 Natural Language: programming computers to understand natural human languages.
 Neural Networks: Systems that simulate intelligence
 Robotics: programming computers to see and hear and react to other sensory stimuli.
 Lecture 2
Components of Information Processing System

Data – is a collection or independent raw facts and figures.

Ex. Numbers, letters, symbols or combination of these

Information – is data that is made meaningful to someone.

Desirable Qualities of Information

1. Relevance – all of the information supplied must be important to the person receiving it.
2. Completeness – no vital information should be missed out.
3. Timeliness – information must be available when in time of need arises.
4. Accuracy – Correctness or validity of information is necessary because no sound decision is
made of poor information.
5. Presentable – understandability of information is a function of presentation.

Data Processing – composed of a series of activities responsible for transforming data into information.

Data Processing Concepts

1. The INPUT – PROCESS – OUTPUT (I-P-O) Model

 refers to a conceptual framework wherein input in the form of data or information is
processed which result in the generation of an output basically in the form of information

Data Processing Methods

a. Manual Data Processing – implies the extend use of manual labor

in the processing of data. Such method is slow and relatively
inaccurate and could not support the rapidly expanding
information requirements.
b. Mechanical Data Processing – involves the use of machines or devices that alter,
transmit and direct applied forces. The advantages are greater computational speed.
 c. Electromechanical Data Processing – involves the use of mechanical devices with
electric motors allowing them to carry out any operation. Ex. Printers which give a
permanent record.
d. Electronic Data Processing – it has superior capacity to
perform computations and other functions at incredible
speeds.

2. Data Processing Cycle

- the flow of data from the moment it is recorded until the time it becomes a usable piece of
information is traced taking into consideration what is actually done on the data in the process of
transforming it into information.