Evolution of

Computing
LECTURE 2
RABIA TAHIR
Outline

 History of Computers
 Abacus
 Generations of Computer (1-5)
 Cloud Computing
 Artificial Intelligence
Brief History of Computers

 From the 1930s to today, the computer has changed

dramatically.
 The first modern computer was created in the 1930s and was
called the Z1, which was followed by large machinery that took
up entire rooms.
 In the '60s, computers evolved from professional use to personal
use, as the first personal computer was introduced to the public.
 In the 1980s, Apple introduced its first computer, the Macintosh,
and has dominated the computer industry ever since with
laptops and tablets.
Abacus
 The abacus is the most ancient calculating
device known.
 An abacus consists of a wooden frame, rods, and
beads.
 Each rod represents a different place value ones,
tens, hundreds, thousands, and so on.
 Each bead represents a number, usually 1 or 5,
and can be moved along the rods.
 Addition and subtraction can easily be
performed by moving beads along the wires of
the abacus.
A calculating machine in the
1930s created by Konrad Zuse
In the 1940s, computers took up entire rooms, like the
ENIAC, which was once called a "mathematical robot."
As personal computers Xerox Alto became
popular in the 1970s, created by Steve Job.
In the early 2000s, laptops became increasingly popular,
especially after Apple launched its MacBook Air.
Today’s Computers

 Today, computers come in all shapes and sizes, including tablets.

 Today's most innovative computers are tablets, which are simple
touchscreens without a keyboard or a mouse.
 Although tablet sales are on the decline, 33 million tablets were
sold in 2018.
 The market is also filled with other computer models, including
the MacBook Pro, iMac, Dell XPS, and iPhones.
First Generation of Computers

 The first generation of computers took place from 1940 to 1956

and was extremely large in size.
 These early machines required magnetic drums for memory and
vacuum tubes that worked as switches and amplifiers.
 It was the vacuum tubes that were mainly responsible for the
large size of the machines and the massive amounts of heat that
they released.
 First generation computers also used a very basic programming
language that is referred to as machine language.
First Generation of Computers
(Cont. )
 Advantages of First Generation of Computers:
It used vacuum tubes which during those days were the only
electronic component.
 Disadvantages of First Generation of Computers:
These were really expensive computers.
Vacuum tubes require a large cooling system.
The efficiency of work was very low.
Big consumption of electricity.
Second Generation of Computers

 The second generation (from 1956 to 1963) of computers

managed to replace vacuum tubes with transistors.
 This allowed them to use less electricity and generate less heat.
 Second generation computers were also significantly faster than
their predecessors.
 Another significant change was in the size of the computers,
which were smaller.
 High-level languages such as the early versions of COBOL and
FORTRAN were also being developed at this period.
Second Generation of Computers
(Cont.)
 Advantages of Second Generation of Computers:
The electron component size had reduced due to the use of transistors
rather than vacuum tubes.
Low cost compared to computers of first-generation.
Better than first-generation speed.

 Disadvantages of Second Generation of Computers:

A system for cooling was required.
Used only for specific purposes.
Third Generation of Computers

 From 1964 to 1971 computers went through a significant change

in terms of speed, courtesy of integrated circuits.
 Integrated circuits, or semiconductor chips, were large numbers
of miniature transistors packed on silicon chips.
 This not only increased the speed of computers but also made
them smaller, more powerful, and less expensive.
 In addition, instead of the punch cards and the printouts of
previous systems, keyboards and monitors were now allowing
people to interact with computing machines.
Third Generation of Computers
(Cont.)
 Advantages of Third Generation of Computers:
Relative to second-generation machines, these machines were cheaper.
They were quick and reliable.
IC usage on the computer gives the computer a smaller size.

 Disadvantages of Third Generation of Computers:

It’s hard to maintain IC chips.
The advanced technology was needed for the development of IC chips.
Air conditioning was required.
Fourth Generation of Computers

 The changes with the greatest impact occurred in the years from
1971 to 2010. During this time technology developed to a point
where manufacturers could place millions of transistors on a single
circuit chip.
 By the late 70s and early 80s assembled personal computers for
home use, such as the Commodore Pet, Apple II and the first IBM
computer, were making their way onto the market.
 The fourth generation of computers also saw the creation of even
smaller computers including laptops and hand-held devices.
 Graphical user interface, or GUI, was also invented during this time.
 Computer memory and storage also went through major
improvements, with an increase in storage capacity and speed.
Fourth Generation of Computers
(Cont. )
 Advantages of Fourth Generation of Computers:
It had the fastest calculation capacity and the dimension is smaller than
the previous computer generation.
Heat generation was negligible.
The size was smaller compared to previous computers.
 Disadvantages of Fourth Generation of Computers:
The design and manufacture of microprocessors are very complex.
For the production of ICs, advanced technology was needed
Fifth Generation of Computers

 In the future, computer users can expect even faster and more
advanced computer technology.
 Computers continue to develop into advanced forms of
technology.
 Fifth generation computing has yet to be truly defined, as there
are numerous paths that technology is taking toward the future
of computer development.
 For instance, research is ongoing in the fields of nanotechnology,
artificial intelligence, as well as quantum computation.
Fifth Generation of Computers
(Cont.)
 Advantages of Fifth Generation of Computers:
It operates quicker and more efficiently.
This is available in various sizes and features.
This offers more user-friendly graphical interfaces on the device.
 Disadvantages of Fifth Generation of Computers:
They need all high-level languages that need to be mastered.
They may replace humans causing unemployment in the future.
Cloud Computing

 Cloud computing is the delivery of different services through

the Internet.
 These resources include tools and applications like data storage,
servers, databases, networking, and software.
 As long as an electronic device has access to the web, it has
access to the data and the software programs to run it.
 For example, Google Drive, Dropbox, Gmail, Amazon web
services
Smart Watches or Galaxy Watches

 The Samsung Galaxy Watch is a smartwatch developed

by Samsung Electronics.
 These watches have operating system,
processor memory and other facilities such as:
 Bluetooth
 Wi-Fi etc.
Artificial Intelligence

 Artificial intelligence (AI) is wide-ranging branch of computer

science concerned with building smart machines capable of
performing tasks that typically require human intelligence.
 AI is an interdisciplinary science with multiple approaches.
 Some Examples of AI:
 Google search
 Image recognition software
 Siri and other personal assistants
 Self-driving cars