Assignment of Computer: Submitted To: Mam Ramash Zahra Submitted By: Sameen Roll No: 20 Class: Bs Physics 1 Semester

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Assignment of Computer

Submitted To:
Mam Ramash Zahra
Submitted By:
Sameen
Roll No:
20
Class:
Bs Physics 1st semester
The Five Generations of Computers
The history of computer development is often referred to in reference to
the different generations of computing devices. 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, more efficient and reliable
devices.

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.

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 transistor was far
superior to the vacuum tube, allowing computers to become smaller,
faster, cheaper, more energy-efficient and more reliable than their first-
generation predecessors. Though the transistor still generated a great
deal of heat that subjected the computer 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 memory, which moved from a magnetic drum to
magnetic core technology.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. Prepared by Miss N. Nembhard
Instead of punched cards and printouts, users interacted with third
generation computers through keyboards and monitors and interfaced
with 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 they were smaller and cheaper than their predecessors.

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 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, based on artificial intelligence, are
still in development, Prepared by Miss N. Nembhard though there are
some applications, such as voice recognition, that are being used today.
The use of parallel processing and superconductors is helping to make
artificial intelligence a reality. Quantum computation and 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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