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Generations of Computer

The computer has evolved from a large-sized simple

calculating machine to a smaller but much more
powerful machine.

The evolution of computer to the current state is

defined in terms of the generations of computer.

Each generation of computer is designed based on a

new technological development, resulting in better,
cheaper and smaller computers that are more
powerful, faster and efficient than their
predecessors.

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Generations of Computer

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First Generation Computers

(1940-1956)
 The first computers used vacuum tubes(a sealed glass
tube containing a near-vacuum which allows the free
passage of electric current.) for
circuitry and magnetic drums for memory.
 They were often enormous and taking up entire room.
 First generation computers relied on machine language.
 They were very expensive to operate and in addition to
using a great deal of electricity, generated a lot of heat,
which was often the cause of malfunctions(defect or
breakdown).
 The UNIVAC and ENIAC computers are examples of
first-generation computing devices.

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First Generation
Computers
Advantages :
It was only electronic device
First device to hold memory

Disadvantages :
Too bulky i.e large in size
Vacuum tubes burn frequently
They were producing heat
Maintenance problems

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 Second Generation
Computers
(1956-1963)
• Transistors replaced vacuum tubes and
ushered in the second generation of computers.
• Second-generation computers moved from
cryptic binary machine language to symbolic.
• High-level programming languages were also
being developed at this time, such as early
versions of COBOL and FORTRAN.
• These were also the first computers that stored
their instructions in their memory.
• Examples of the second generation computers
include IBM 1620, IBM 7094, CDC 1604, CDC
3600, UNIVAC 1108 6
Second Generation
Computers
Advantages :
Size reduced considerably
The very fast
Very much reliable

Disadvantages :
They over heated quickly
Maintenance problems

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Third Generation Computers
(1964-1971)
The development of the integrated circuit was the
hallmark of the third generation of computers.
Transistors were miniaturized and placed
on siliconchips, called semiconductors.
Instead of punched cards and paper tapes, users
interacted with third generation computers
through keyboards and monitors and interfaced with
an operating system.
Examples of the third generation computers
include IBM-360 series, Honeywell-6000 series, PDP
(Personal Data Processor), and IBM-370/168
Allowed the device to run many
different applications at one time. 8
Third generation computers
Advantages :
ICs are very small in size
Improved performance
Production cost cheap

Disadvantages :
ICs are sophisticated

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Fourth Generation
Computers
(1971-present)
The microprocessor brought the fourth
generation of computers, as thousands of
integrated circuits were built onto a single
silicon chip.
The Intel 4004 chip, developed in 1971, located
all the components of the computer.
From the central processing unit and memory to
input/output controls—on a single chip.
 Fourth generation computers also saw the
development of GUIs, the mouse and
handheld devices.
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Fourth Generation
Computers

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Fifth Generation Computers
(present and beyond)
Fifth generation computing devices, based
on artificial intelligence.
Are still in development, though there are
some applications, such as voice recognition.
The use of parallel processing and
superconductors is helping to make artificial
intelligence a reality.
The goal of fifth-generation computing is to
develop devices that respond to natural
language input and are capable of learning and
self-organization.
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Fifth Generation
Computers

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From Vaccum Tubes to
Microprocessors

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How Computers Work
Data Flow: Input -> Processing -> Output
Binary System: Computers use 0s and 1s for
all operations
Operating System Role: Manages resources
and facilitates user interaction
Advantages and Limitations
Advantages:
High speed and accuracy
Automation of repetitive tasks
Connectivity across the globe
 Large data storage capacity

Limitations:
Dependence on electricity
Vulnerable to cyberattacks
Limited by the quality of software
Applications of Computers
Education: Online learning platforms,
research
Healthcare: Medical imaging,
diagnostics
Business: Data management, financial
analysis
Entertainment: Video games, streaming
services
Communication: Emails, video calls,
social media
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Von Neumann Architecture
An Introduction to the Foundational
Computer Architecture introduced by John
Von Neumann.

The Von Neumann Architecture is a

computer design model based on a stored-
program concept, where instructions and
data are stored in the same memory.
Key Components
The Central Processing Unit (CPU)
The Main Memory Unit
The Input/Output Device
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Central Processing Unit
The central processing unit is defined as the it
is an electric circuit used for the executing the
instruction of computer program.

It has following major components:

Control Unit(CU)

Arithmetic and Logic Unit(ALU)

Variety of Registers
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Control Unit – A control unit (CU) handles all
processor control signals. It directs all input and
output flow, fetches code for instructions, and
controls how data moves around the system.
Arithmetic and Logic Unit (ALU) – The
arithmetic logic unit is that part of the CPU that
handles all the calculations the CPU may need,
e.g. Addition, Subtraction, Comparisons.
Registers – Registers refer to high-speed storage
areas in the CPU. The data processed by the
CPU are fetched from the registers.
Accumulator: Stores the results of calculations
made by ALU. It holds the intermediate of
arithmetic and logical operations.
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Buses
Data is transmitted from one part of a
computer to another, connecting all major
internal components to the CPU and memory,
by the means of Buses. Types:
Data Bus
Address Bus
Control Bus

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Input/Output Devices
 Program or data is read into main memory
from the input device or secondary storage
under the control of CPU input instruction.
Output devices are used to output
information from a computer.

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Characteristics of Computer System
1. Speed

 Executing mathematical calculation, a computer

works faster and more accurately than human.

 Computer operations are performed in micro and

nano seconds.

It performs several calculations and tasks in few

seconds that we take hours to solve.

The speed of a computer is measure in terms of

GigaHertz and MegaHertz.
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2. Diligence
A human cannot work for several hours
without resting, yet a computer never tires.

A computer can conduct millions of

calculations per second with complete
precision without stopping.

 A computer can consistently and accurately

do millions of jobs or calculations.

There is no weariness or lack of

concentration.
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3. Reliability
A computer is reliable. The output results
never differ unless the input varies.
The output is totally depends on the input.
When the input is the same the output will also
be the same.
 A computer produces consistent results for
similar sets of data
4. Automation
The world is quickly moving toward AI
(Artificial Intelligence)-based technology.
 A computer may conduct tasks automatically
after instructions are programmed.
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5. Versatility
A computer can perform multiple tasks at the
same time this is known as versatility.
For example, while listening to music, we may
develop our project using PowerPoint and
Wordpad, or we can design a website
6. Memory
Computer memory storage capacity is measured
in Bytes, Kilobytes(KB), Megabytes(MB),
Gigabytes(GB), and Terabytes(TB).
7. Accuracy
When a computer performs a computation or
operation, the chances of errors occurring are
low.
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Types of Computer Memory
Computer memory is just like the human
brain. It is used to store data/information and
instructions.

 It is a data storage unit or a data storage

device where data and instructions are
stored.

In general, computer memory is of two types:

Primary memory

Secondary memory
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1. Primary Memory
It is also known as the main memory of the
computer system.
It is used to store data and
programs or instructions during computer operations
.
Primary memory is of two types:
•RAM (Random Access Memory)

•ROM(Read Only Memory)It is a volatile memory.

Volatile memory stores information based on the
power supply. If the power supply fails/
interrupted/stopped, all the data and information on
this memory will be lost.
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RAM- It is a volatile memory. Volatile memory
stores information based on the power supply. If
the power supply fails/ interrupted/stopped, all the
data and information on this memory will be lost.

RAM is of two types:

S RAM (Static RAM): S RAM uses transistors and
the circuits of this memory are capable of retaining
their state as long as the power is applied

D RAM (Dynamic RAM): D RAM uses capacitors

and transistors and stores the data as a charge on
the capacitors. It needs refreshing of charge on
capacitor after a few milliseconds.

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ROM (Read Only Memory): It is a non-volatile memory.
Non-volatile memory stores information even when there is a
power supply failed/ interrupted/stopped.

 ROM is used to store information that is used to operate the

system.

As its name refers to read-only memory, we can only read the
programs and data that is stored on it.
 PROM (Programmable Read Only Memory)
 EPROM (Erasable Programmable Read Only Memory)
 EEPROM (Electrically Erasable Programmable Read Only Memory)

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2. Secondary Memory
It is also known as auxiliary memory and
backup memory.
It is a non-volatile memory and used to store
a large amount of data or information.
 The data or information stored in secondary
memory is permanent, and it is slower than
primary memory.
A CPU cannot access secondary memory
directly. The data/information from the
auxiliary memory is first transferred to the
main memory, and then the CPU can access it.

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Types of Secondary Memory
 Magnetic Tapes
 Hard Disks

 Optical Disks –CD,DVD etc

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Types of Programming Languages
1.Machine Language
Machine language, or machine code, is the lowest-level
programming language.
Because it is written in binary code, it’s the only language a
computer can directly execute without the need for translation.
2.Assembly Language
Assembly programming language is a low-level language that is
closely related to machine code
3.Procedural Programming Language
A procedural programming language follows a series of
functions to perform actions or solve a specific problem.
Examples: C, C++, Java, Pascal, BASIC

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4.Object-Oriented Programming Language
An object-oriented programming language
turns everything into objects. Each object —
which is a unique piece of data — is defined by
its attributes and methods, and assigned to a
particular class.
Examples: Java, Python, PHP, C++, Ruby

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