Basic Electronic components in Different Generations

1. 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.

2. 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.

3. 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.).
4. Microprocessor – an electronic component held on an integrated circuit
that contains a computer’s central processing unit (CPU) and other
associated circuits.

5. 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).
 Storage devices in different Generations

1. Magnetic drum - It is a cylinder coated with magnetic material, on

which data and programs can be stored.

2. Magnetic core - It uses arrays of small rings of magnetized material

called cores to store information.

3. Memory - It is a physical device that is used to store data, information

and program in a computer.
 Types of languages
1. Machine language - It is a low-level programming language comprised of a
collection of binary digits (ones and zeros) that the computer can read and
understand.
2. Assembly language - It 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).
3. Artificial intelligence (AI) - It is an area of computer science that deals with
the simulation and creation of intelligent machines or intelligent behave in
computers (they think, learn, work, and react like humans).

Generation of Computers
The evolution of computer technology is often divided into five generations.
Five Generations of Computers
Generations of computers Generations timeline Evolving hardware
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
Fifth generation The present and the future Artificial intelligence based

1. GENERATION-I
The main characteristics of first generation of computers (1940s-1950s)
a) Main electronic component – vacuum tube
b) Main memory – magnetic drums and magnetic tapes
c) Programming language – machine language
d) Power – consume a lot of electricity and generate a lot of heat.
e) Size of the room to place the computer system as :

f) Speed and size – very slow and very large in size (often taking up entire
room).
g) Input/output devices – punched cards and paper tape.
h) Examples – ENIAC, UNIVAC1, IBM 650, IBM 701, etc.
i) Quantity – there were about 100 different vacuum tube computers produced
between 1942 and1963.

2. GENERATION-II
The main characteristics of second generation of computers (1950s-1960s)
a) Main electronic component – transistor
b) Memory – magnetic core and magnetic tape / disk

c) Programming language – assembly languagePower and size – low power

consumption, generated less heat, and smaller in size (in comparison with
the first generation computers).
d) Speed – improvement of speed and reliability (in comparison with the first
generation computers).
e) Input/output devices – punched cards and magnetic tape.
f) Examples – IBM 1401, IBM 7090 and 7094, UNIVAC 1107, etc.
3. GENERATION-III
The main characteristics of third generation of computers (1960s-1970s)
a) Main electronic component – integrated circuits (ICs)
b) Memory – large magnetic core, magnetic tape / disk
c) Programming language – high level language (FORTRAN,BASIC, Pascal,
COBOL, C, etc.)

d) Size – smaller, cheaper, and more efficient than second generation

computers (they were called minicomputers).
e) Speed – improvement of speed and reliability (in comparison with the
second generation computers).
f) Input / output devices – magnetic tape, keyboard, monitor, printer, etc.

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

4. GENERATION-IV
The main characteristics of fourth generation of computers (1970s-present)
a) Main electronic component – very large-scale integration (VLSI) and
microprocessor.
b) VLSI– thousands of transistors on a single microchip.
c) Memory – semiconductor memory (such as RAM, ROM, etc.)
d) 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).

e) 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).
f) Programming language – high level language (Python, C#, Java, JavaScript,
Rust, Kotlin, etc.).
g) A mix of both third- and fourth-generation languages
h) Size – smaller, cheaper and more efficient than third generation computers.
i) Speed – improvement of speed, accuracy, and reliability (in comparison with
the third generation computers).

j) Input / output devices – keyboard, pointing devices, optical scanning,

monitor, printer, etc.
k) Network – a group of two or more computer systems linked together.
l) Examples – IBM PC, STAR 1000, APPLE II, Apple Macintosh, etc.
 5. GENERATION-V
The main characteristics of fifth generation of computers (the present and the
future)

a) Main electronic component: based on artificial intelligence, uses the Ultra

Large-Scale Integration (ULSI) technology and parallel processing method.
b) ULSI – millions of transistors on a single microchip
c) Parallel processing method – use two or more microprocessors to run tasks
simultaneously.
d) Language – understand natural language (human language).
e) Power – consume less power and generate less heat.
f) Speed – remarkable improvement of speed, accuracy and reliability (in
comparison with the fourth generation computers).
g) Size – portable and small in size, and have a huge storage capacity.

h) Input / output device – keyboard, monitor, mouse, trackpad (or touchpad),

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