Computer History: Classification of Generations

of Computers
The history of computers dates back to the age when man started using tools for computations. The
whole history of computing can be divided into many periods based on the technology used in
computing devices.

Generations of computers explain the history of computers based on evolving technologies. With each
new generation, computer circuitry, size, and parts have been miniaturized, the processing and speed
doubled, memory got larger, and usability and reliability improved.

Note that the timeline specified for each generation is tentative and not definite. The generations are
actually based on evolving chip technology rather than any particular time frame.

Zeroeth Generation

Probably the first computing device was the abacus used by the Chinese in the fifth century BC. This
was used for systematic calculation of arithmetic operations.

In the year 1642, Blaise Pascal, a French scientist invented an adding machine called Pascal’s calculator,
which represents the position of digit with the help of gears in it.

Gottfried Wilhelm (von) Leibniz became one of the most prolific inventors in the field of mechanical
calculators. While working on adding automatic multiplication and division to Pascal's calculator, he
was the first to describe a pinwheel calculator in 1685 and invented the Leibniz wheel, used in the
arithmometer, the first mass-produced mechanical calculator. He also refined the binary number system,
which is the foundation of all digital computers. In 1804 Joseph Marie Jacquard, a French inventor,
devised a loom that used punched cards to direct the weaving pattern.

Charles Babbage designed several devices which he called Analytical Engines. In 1822 he designed
Difference Engine to calculate life tables (Statistics of expectation of life) for insurance business. This
work led to the development of Analytical Engine, which he designed in 1833. This provided a base for
modern computer.

At the end of the 19th century, Herman Hollerith and James Powers designed a data processing machine
for processing census data of the USA. Hollerith developed codes for processing both alphabetical and
numerical data by punching holes in cards and using a device to read such data into the computer
memory.

George Stibitz constructed the first automatic computer at the Bell Telephone Laboratories in New York
in 1939. Another major development was the building of MARK-I in 1940s which utilised electro-
magnetic relays.

First Generation (1940 - 1955)

In the late 1930s John v.Atansoff developed the first electronic computer using valves at Iowa State
University. It was a small computer with an add-subtract unit and it employed about 300 valves.

Computers of first generation used vacuum tubes as the basic components for memory and circuitry for
Central Processing Unit. The first electronic computer, ENIAC (Electronic Numerical Integrator and
calculator) was developed in 1947 at the University of Pennsylvania, USA. This machine had vacuum
tubes as switching devices. They were very large in size, consumed lot of power and emitted too much
of heat. They required to be housed in large air-conditioned rooms. Among many things, The ENIAC
was used to study the feasibility of thermonuclear weaponry, firing of ballistic artillery and engine
thermal ignition, and elsewhere, for weather predictions. A case in point was the need by the USA army
to have machines capable of computing artillery firing tables fast enough. Existing ones took almost two
days. When completed the new machines computed this table data in seconds. Fortunately or
unfortunately, they became available only after the end of World War II in 1946.

The UNIVAC (Universal Automatic Computer), still by Engineers John W. Mauchly and J. Presper
Eckert was the first in the same era to be designed for commercial other than military use. It
manipulated both the alphabet and numbers fairly well and was used by USA Census Bureau to
enumerate the general population. It was later used to manipulate payrolls, records, company sales, and
even predicted presidential election results in 1952.

First generation computers were actually the first general purpose and true digital computers. They came
in time to replace the electromechanical systems which were way too slow for assigned tasks.

During this period, computer programming was mainly done in machine language. The user had to be
both an electronics expert and a programmer to use the computer for any task.
Example of First Generation of Computer:

1. ENIAC (1946)
2. EDSAC (1949)
3. EDVAC (1950)
4. UNIVAC-1 (1951)

Besides boasting of thousands of resisters and capacitors, these computers would use anything up to and
over 17,000 vacuum tubes, which meant computer installations covered entire rooms!

Input and output was done using punch cards, magnetic drums, typewriters and punch card readers.
Initially, technicians manually perforated the cards with holes. This was later done using computers.

Interfacing with first gen systems was done using plug boards and machine language. The technicians
wired up electrical circuits by connecting numerous cables to plug boards.

Then they slotted in specified punched cards into them and waited for hours for some form of
computation while hoping every one of the thousands of vacuum tubes lasted the distance lest they went
through the procedure again.

Advantages of First Generation Computers:

• These computers fast and could calculate data in millisecond.

• Vacuum tubes were the only electronic component available during those days.
• Vacuum tube technology made possible to make electronic digital computers.
• Color-coded for easier and faster identification of readings.

Disadvantages of First Generation Computers:

• The computers were very large in size.
• They consumed a large amount of energy.
• They heated very soon due to thousands of vacuum tubes.
• They were not very reliable.
• Air conditioning was required.
• Constant maintenance was required.
• Non-portable.
• Costly commercial production.
• Limited commercial use.
• Very slow speed.
• Limited programming capabilities.
 • Used machine language only.
• Used magnetic drums which provide very less data storage.

Notable development:

Von Neumann introduced the concept of stored program by around the same time and the first digital
computer using program, EDSAC (Electronic Delay Storage Automatic Calculator), was announced in
1949.

Second Generation Computers: 1950s -1960s: (Transistors and Batch Filing)

In second generation of computer transistors were used. The transistors were highly reliable and easier
to handle and maintain than the vacuum tubes. They required much less power. These transistors
replaced vacuum tubes in computers during this period. The magnetic cores were used to construct large
random access memories. Magnetic disk storage was also developed during this period.

Commercial applications rapidly developed during this period and dominated computer use by mid
1960s. This period also witnessed development of high level languages (like FORTRAN, COBOL,
ALGOL, and SNOWBOL) and operating systems. The computers used multiprogramming and batch
processing operating system.

Second generation computers saw advancement in data input and output procedures. Initially, these
processes were similar to the last models of 1st gen computers. They were tedious because they involved
multiple personnel carrying punched cards from room to room.

To speed up the process, the batch system was designed and implemented. It involved collecting
multiple data jobs into multiple punched cards and feeding them into single magnetic tapes using a fairly
smaller and inexpensive system. The IBM-1401 was one such computer. Processing, on the other hand,
was done using a more powerful system like the IBM 7094.

When data manipulation was complete, the files were transferred back to a magnetic tape. To do this
efficiently, IBM's operating system for IBM-7094 system and Fortran Monitor System were used. These
were the forerunners of operating system software to come.

Using a smaller system again, say IBM-1401, the data was printed out to multiple punch cards as output.
This was probably due to the overall upgrade from restrictive binary based machine code to languages
that wholly supported symbolic and alphanumeric coding. Programmers could now write in assemblers
and high-level languages like FORTRAN, COBOL, SNOWBALL, and BASIC in 1964.
Examples of 2nd Gen computers:

• IBM-7000
• CDC 3000 series
• UNIVAC 1107
• IBM-7094
• MARK III
• Honeywell 400

Advantages of Second Generation Computers:

» Smaller in size compared to the first generation of computer.
» The second generations computers were more reliable.
» Used less energy and were not heated as much as the first one.
» Better speed and could calculate data in microseconds.
» Used faster peripherals.
» Better portability as compared to the first generation.
» Accuracy improved.
» Assembly language was used as well.

Third Generation computers (1965 - 1974)

The period of third generation was from 1965-1971. The computers of third generation used Integrated
Circuits (ICs) in place of transistors. A single IC has many transistors, resistors, and capacitors along
with the associated circuitry.

The IC was invented by Jack Kilby. This development made computers smaller in size, reliable, and
efficient. In this generation remote processing, time-sharing, multiprogramming operating systems were
used. High-level languages (FORTRAN-II TO IV, COBOL, PASCAL PL/1, BASIC, ALGOL-68 etc.)
were used during this generation.

Some computers of this generation were −

• IBM-360 series
• Honeywell-6000 series
• PDP (Personal Data Processor)
• IBM-370/168
• TDC-316

Advantages of Third Generation Computers:

» Smaller in size as compared to previous generations.
» More reliable as compared to previous generations.
» Used less energy as compared to previous generations.
» Produced less heat as compared to the previous two generations of computers.
» Maintenance cost was low because hardware failure is rare.
» Better speed and could calculate data in nanoseconds.
» Totally general purpose
» Good storage
» Could be used for high-level languages.
» Less expensive and better accuracy
» Commercial production increased.

Fourth Generation Computers (1975-Present)

The fourth generation computers started with the invention of Microprocessor. The Microprocessor
contains thousands of ICs. Ted Hoff produced the first microprocessor in 1971 for Intel. It was known as
Intel 4004. The technology of integrated circuits improved rapidly. The LSI (Large Scale Integration)
circuit and VLSI (Very Large Scale Integration) circuit was designed. It greatly reduced the size of
computer. The size of modern Microprocessors is usually one square inch. It can contain millions of
electronic circuits. The examples of fourth generation computers are Apple Macintosh & IBM PC.

Fourth generation computers became more powerful, compact, reliable, and affordable. As a result, it
gave rise to Personal Computer (PC) revolution. In this generation, time sharing, real time networks,
distributed operating system were used. All the high-level languages like C, C++, DBASE etc., were
used in this generation.

Some computers of this generation were −

• DEC 10
• STAR 1000
• PDP 11
• CRAY-1(Super Computer)
• CRAY-X-MP(Super Computer)

Advantages

• More powerful and reliable than previous generations.

• Small in size
• Fast processing power with less power consumption
• Fan for heat discharging and thus to keep cold.
• No air conditioning required.
• Totally general purpose
• Commercial production
• Less need of repair.
• Cheapest among all generations
• All types of High level languages can be used in this type of computers

Disadvantages

The latest technology is required for manufacturing of Microprocessors.

Fifth generation (Present and beyond)

In the fifth generation, VLSI technology became ULSI (Ultra Large Scale Integration) technology,
resulting in the production of microprocessor chips having ten million electronic components.

This generation is based on parallel processing hardware and AI (Artificial Intelligence) software. AI is
an emerging branch in computer science, which interprets the means and method of making computers
think like human beings. All the high-level languages like C and C++, Java, .Net etc., are used in this
generation.

Computers can understand spoken words & imitate human reasoning. It can respond to its surroundings
using different types of sensors. Scientists are constantly working to increase the processing power of
computers. They are trying to create a computer with real IQ with the help of advanced programming
and technologies. IBM Watson computer is one example that outsmarts Harvard University Students.
The advancement in modern technologies will revolutionize the computer in future

AI includes −

• Robotics
• Neural Networks
• Game Playing
• Development of expert systems to make decisions in real-life situations
• Natural language understanding and generation

The main features of fifth generation are −

• ULSI technology
• Development of soft artificial intelligence
• Development of Natural language processing
• Advancement in Parallel Processing
• Advancement in Superconductor technology
• More user-friendly interfaces with multimedia features
• Availability of very powerful and compact computers at cheaper rates

Some computer types of this generation are −

• Desktop
• Laptop
• NoteBook
• UltraBook
• ChromeBook