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Computer Generations

This document discusses the five generations of computers from the 1940s to present. The first generation used vacuum tubes as the main electronic component and had large, room-sized machines. The second generation introduced transistors, while the third generation saw the rise of integrated circuits. The fourth generation is based on microprocessors. Current and future computers are considered the fifth generation, which utilizes artificial intelligence and parallel processing.

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irakozebruce329
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22 views15 pages

Computer Generations

This document discusses the five generations of computers from the 1940s to present. The first generation used vacuum tubes as the main electronic component and had large, room-sized machines. The second generation introduced transistors, while the third generation saw the rise of integrated circuits. The fourth generation is based on microprocessors. Current and future computers are considered the fifth generation, which utilizes artificial intelligence and parallel processing.

Uploaded by

irakozebruce329
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© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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COMPUTER

GENERATIONS
BY IRAKOZE BRUCE
WHAT IS A COMPUTER?

• An electronic device for storing and processing data, typically in binary


form, according to instructions given to it in a variable program
Or
• A computer is a machine or device that performs processes, calculations and
operations based on instructions provided by a software or hardware
program. It has the ability to accept data (input), process it, and then
produce outputs.
PICTURE OF A COMPUTER
BASIC TERMS RELATED TO COMPUTERS

• Vacuum Tube: Vacuum tubes have the functionality of controlling the flow of
electronics in a vacuum. Generally, it is used in switches, amplifiers, radios,
televisions, etc.
• Transistor: A transistor helps in controlling the flow of electricity in devices, it works
as an amplifier or a switch.
• Integrated Circuit (IC): Integrated circuits are silicon chips that contain their circuit
elements like transistors, resistors, etc.
• Microprocessors: Microprocessors are the components that contain the CPU and
its circuits and are present in the Integrated Circuit.
BASIC TERMS RELATED TO COMPUTERS…

• Central Processing Unit (CPU): The CPU is called the brain of the computer. CPU
performs processing and operations work.
• Magnetic Drum: Magnetic Drum is like a cylinder that stores data and cylinder.
• Magnetic Core: Magnetic cores are used to store information. These are arrays of
small rings.
• Machine Language: Machine Language is the language that a computer accepts (in
the form of binary digits). It is also called low-level programming language.
BASIC TERMS RELATED TO COMPUTERS

• Memory: Memory is used to store data, information, and program in a


computer.
• Artificial Intelligence: Artificial Intelligence deals with creating intelligent
machines and behaviors.
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
Fifth generation The present and the Artificial intelligence based
future
CHARACTERISTICS OF FIRST GENERATION
• 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.
CHARACTERISTICS OF SECOND
GENERATION
• 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
CHARACTERISTICS OF THE THIRD
GENERATION
• 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
CHARACTERISTICS OF THE FOURTH
GENERATION
• 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.) 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.
CHARACTERISTICS OF THE FIFTH
GENERATION

• 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
CHARACTERISTICS OF FIFTH GENERATION…

• 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.
PICTURES
PICTURES

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