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History of Computers and Generation

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9 views2 pages

History of Computers and Generation

Uploaded by

maryamfatima1701
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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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HAMZA KHAN

LLB 24 (A)

The history of computers begins with early calculation tools that led to
mechanical calculators of the 17th century, created by these persons -
Blaise Pascal and Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz - whereby the 19th century
marked a turning point with Charles Babbage conceptualizing the first
general-purpose computer to be designed, the Analytical Engine, in addition
to Ada Lovelace creating algorithms for it.

The 20th century was the period when electronic computing began. That
was originated by the invention of machines like the Colossus during World
War II and then the ENIAC in 1945, the first general-purpose electronic
digital computer. This time was divided into several generations:

First Generation (1940s-1950s)


The first generation used vacuum tubes for circuits and magnetic drums for
memory. Such machines, like the ENIAC and UNIVAC, were enormous in
size, expensive, and power hungry. Programming was done directly in
machine language, which was difficult and time-consuming.

Second Generation (1950s–1960s)


The second generation replaced vacuum tubes with transistors. Computers
were much smaller, much more reliable, and used much less energy. The
ease of programming also entered the scene with assembly language.
Important examples here are IBM 1401 and CDC 1604, as well as better
operating systems.

Third Generation (1960s–1970s)

The third generation put many transistors into one integrated circuit (IC).
This made computers much faster and smaller while reducing the cost.
Time-sharing became common, allowing many users to share a computer
simultaneously. The IBM System/360 is probably the most famous example
of this period.

Fourth Generation (1970s–now)

This generation is characterized by the invention of micro-processors where


all parts of the CPU are placed on ONE chip. Personal computers such as
Apple II and IBM PC started coming out, and graphical user interfaces were
also very common then. During this time, software developed significantly;
thus, computers began to become much friendlier to the end-users. Fifth
Generation (present and onward) The fifth generation involves artificial
intelligence and advanced computing. Examples include quantum
computing, natural language processing. In this generation, the aim is to
construct machines to learn, think, and understand human language in
wider dimensions in what computers can do. The history of computers
unveils how they have evolved and developed over time due to new
inventions and the desire for a more advanced technology. Each generation
added to the preceding one and evolved into the complex computing
systems that we use today.

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