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Topic A Computer Generations - Key Concepts of Computer Studies 1700232042305

The document summarizes the five generations of computers from the 1940s to present. The first generation used vacuum tubes as the main electronic component and were very large, slow, and consumed significant power. The second generation used transistors and were smaller and faster. The third generation used integrated circuits and supported high-level programming languages. The fourth generation used microprocessors and were smaller yet. The fifth generation uses artificial intelligence and parallel processing to be faster, smaller, and support natural languages. Each generation brought improvements in size, speed, programming capabilities, and more efficient use of power.

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77 views9 pages

Topic A Computer Generations - Key Concepts of Computer Studies 1700232042305

The document summarizes the five generations of computers from the 1940s to present. The first generation used vacuum tubes as the main electronic component and were very large, slow, and consumed significant power. The second generation used transistors and were smaller and faster. The third generation used integrated circuits and supported high-level programming languages. The fourth generation used microprocessors and were smaller yet. The fifth generation uses artificial intelligence and parallel processing to be faster, smaller, and support natural languages. Each generation brought improvements in size, speed, programming capabilities, and more efficient use of power.

Uploaded by

gozibartmutegek
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We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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KEY CONCEPTS OF COMPUTER STUDIES

CONTENTS

Unit 7. Evolution of computers

Topic A: Computer generations

Click play on the following audio player to listen along as you read this
section.

Basic Terms

Vacuum tube – an electronic device that controls the flow of electrons in


a vacuum. It used as a switch, amplifier, or display screen in many older
model radios, televisions, computers, etc.
Transistor – an electronic component that can be used
as an amplifier or as a switch. It is used to control the
flow of electricity in radios, televisions, computers, etc.

Integrated circuit (IC) – a small electronic circuit printed


on a chip (usually made of silicon) that contains many its
own circuit elements (e.g. transistors, diodes, resistors,
etc.).

Microprocessor – an electronic component held on an


integrated circuit that contains a computer’s central processing
unit (CPU) and other associated circuits.

CPU (central processing unit) – It is often referred to


as the brain or engine of a computer where most of the
processing and operations take place (CPU is part of a
microprocessor).

Magnetic drum – a cylinder coated with magnetic material, on


which data and programs can be stored.

Magnetic core – uses arrays of small rings of magnetized material called


cores to store information.

Machine language – a low-level programming language comprised of a


collection of binary digits (ones and zeros) that the computer can read and
understand.

Assembly language is like the machine language that a


computer can understand, except that assembly language uses
abbreviated words (e.g. ADD, SUB, DIV…) in place of numbers (0s and 1s).

Memory – a physical device that is used to store data,


information and program in a computer.

Artificial intelligence (AI) – an area of computer science that deals with


the simulation and creation of intelligent machines or intelligent behave
Previous: Unit 7. Evolution of computers
in computers (they think, learn, work, and react like humans).
Next: Topic B: Computer hardware and software

First Generation of Computers

Classification of generations of computers

The evolution of computer technology is often divided into five


generations.

Five Generations of Computers

Generations of
Generations timeline Evolving hardware
computers
First generation 1940s-1950s Vacuum tube based
Second generation 1950s-1960s Transistor based
Third generation 1960s-1970s Integrated circuit based
Fourth generation 1970s-present Microprocessor based
The present and the Artificial intelligence
Fifth generation
future based
The main characteristics of first generation of computers (1940s-1950s)

Main electronic component – vacuum tube


Main memory – magnetic drums and magnetic tapes

Programming language – machine language


Power – consume a lot of electricity and generate a lot of heat.

Speed and size – very slow and very large in size


(often taking up entire room).

Input/output devices – punched cards and paper


tape.
Examples – ENIAC, UNIVAC1, IBM 650, IBM 701, etc.

Quantity – there were about 100 different vacuum tube computers


produced between 1942 and1963.

Second Generation of Computers

The main characteristics of second generation of computers (1950s-


1960s)

Main electronic component – transistor


Memory – magnetic core and magnetic tape / disk

Programming language – assembly language


Power and size – low power consumption, generated less
heat, and smaller in size (in comparison with the first
generation computers).

Speed – improvement of speed and reliability (in


comparison with the first generation computers).

Input/output devices – punched cards and magnetic tape.


Examples – IBM 1401, IBM 7090 and 7094, UNIVAC 1107, etc.

Third Generation of Computers


The main characteristics of third generation of computers (1960s-1970s)

Main electronic component – integrated circuits (ICs)


Memory – large magnetic core, magnetic tape / disk

Programming language – high level language (FORTRAN,


BASIC, Pascal, COBOL, C, etc.)
Size – smaller, cheaper, and more efficient than second
generation computers (they were called minicomputers).

Speed – improvement of speed and reliability (in


comparison with the second generation computers).
Input / output devices – magnetic tape, keyboard, monitor, printer, etc.

Examples – IBM 360, IBM 370, PDP-11, UNIVAC 1108, etc.

Fourth Generation of Computers

The main characteristics of fourth generation of computers (1970s-


present)

Main electronic component – very large-scale


integration (VLSI) and microprocessor.

VLSI– thousands of transistors on a single


microchip.
Memory – semiconductor memory (such as
RAM, ROM, etc.)
RAM (random-access memory) – a type of data storage (memory
element) used in computers that temporary stores of programs
and data (volatile: its contents are lost when the computer is
turned off).

ROM (read-only memory) – a type of data


storage used in computers that
permanently stores data and programs
(non-volatile: its contents are retained
even when the computer is turned off).

Programming language – high level language (Python, C#, Java,


JavaScript, Rust, Kotlin, etc.).
A mix of both third- and fourth-generation languages

Size – smaller, cheaper and more efficient than third generation


computers.

Speed – improvement of speed, accuracy, and reliability (in


comparison with the third generation computers).

Input / output devices – keyboard, pointing


devices, optical scanning, monitor, printer,
etc.

Network – a group of two or more computer


systems linked together.
Examples – IBM PC, STAR 1000, APPLE II, Apple Macintosh, etc.

Fifth Generation of Computers

The main characteristics of fifth generation of computers (the present and


the future)

Main electronic component: based on artificial intelligence, uses the


Ultra Large-Scale Integration (ULSI) technology and parallel
processing method.
ULSI – millions of transistors on a single
microchip
Parallel processing method – use two or
more microprocessors to run tasks
simultaneously.
Language – understand natural language (human language).

Power – consume less power and generate less heat.

Speed – remarkable improvement of speed, accuracy and reliability


(in comparison with the fourth generation computers).

Size – portable and small in size, and have a huge storage capacity.

Input / output device – keyboard, monitor,


mouse, trackpad (or touchpad), touchscreen,
pen, speech input (recognise voice / speech),
light scanner, printer, etc.
Example – desktops, laptops, tablets,
smartphones, etc.

The computer – this amazing technology went from a


government/business-only technology to being everywhere from people’s
homes, work places, to people’s pockets in less than 100 years.
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Key Concepts of Computer Studies


by Meizhong Wang is licensed
under a Creative Commons
Attribution 4.0 International
License, except where otherwise
noted.

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