What Are the Five Generations of Computers?
In this
Webopedia Study Guide, you'll learn about each of the five generations of
computers and the advances in technology that have led to the development of
the many computing devices that we use today.
Our
journey of the five generations of computers starts in 1940 with vacuum tube
circuitry and goes to the present day — and beyond — with artificial
intelligence (AI) systems and devices. Let's take a look...
Five Generations of Computers Checklist
Getting Started: Key
Terms to KnowFirst Generation:
Vacuum TubesSecond Generation
TransistorsThird Generation
Integrated CircuitsFourth Generation
MicroprocessorsFifth Generation
Artificial Intelligence
The
following tech definitions will help you to better understand the five
generations of computing:
- computer
- magnetic drums
- binary
- integrated circuit
- semiconductor
- nanotechnology
- machine language
- assembly language
First Generation: Vacuum Tubes (1940-1956)
The first
computers used vacuum tubes for circuitry and magnetic drums for memory, and
were often enormous, taking up entire rooms. These computers were very
expensive to operate and in addition to using a great deal of electricity, the
first computers generated a lot of heat, which was often the cause of
malfunctions.
First
generation computers relied on machine language, the
lowest-level programming language understood by computers, to perform
operations, and they could only solve one problem at a time. It would take
operators days or even weeks to set-up a new problem. Input was based on
punched cards and paper tape, and output was displayed on printouts.
The
UNIVAC and ENIAC computers are examples of
first-generation computing devices. The UNIVAC was the first commercial
computer delivered to a business client, the U.S. Census Bureau in 1951.
Recommended Reading:Webopedia's
ENIAC definition
Second Generation: Transistors (1956-1963)
The world
would see transistors replace
vacuum tubes in the second generation of computers. The transistor was invented
at Bell Labs in 1947 but did not see widespread use in computers until the late
1950s.
The
transistor was far superior to the vacuum tube, allowing computers to become
smaller, faster, cheaper, more energy-efficient and more reliable than their
first-generation predecessors. Though the transistor still generated a great
deal of heat that subjected the computer to damage, it was a vast improvement
over the vacuum tube. Second-generation computers still relied on punched cards
for input and printouts for output.
From Binary to Assembly
Second-generation
computers moved from cryptic binary machine
language to symbolic, or assembly,
languages, which allowed programmers to specify instructions in words. 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,
which moved from a magnetic drum to magnetic core technology.
The first
computers of this generation were developed for the atomic energy industry.
Third Generation: Integrated Circuits (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, which
drastically increased the speed and efficiency of computers.
Instead
of punched cards and printouts, users interacted with third generation
computers through keyboards and monitors and interfaced with an operating system, which
allowed the device to run many different applications at one
time with a central program that monitored the memory. Computers for the first
time became accessible to a mass audience because they were smaller and cheaper
than their predecessors.
Did You Know... ?An integrated circuit
(IC) is a small electronic device made out of a
semiconductor material. The first integrated circuit was developed in the 1950s
by Jack Kilby of Texas Instruments and Robert Noyce of Fairchild Semiconductor.
Fourth Generation: Microprocessors
(1971-Present)
The microprocessor brought
the fourth generation of computers, as thousands of integrated circuits were
built onto a single silicon chip. What in the first generation filled an entire
room could now fit in the palm of the hand. 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.
In 1981 IBM
introduced its first computer for the home user, and in 1984 Apple
introduced the Macintosh. Microprocessors also moved out of the realm of
desktop computers and into many areas of life as more and more everyday
products began to use microprocessors.
As these
small computers became more powerful, they could be linked together to form
networks, which eventually led to the development of the Internet. Fourth
generation computers also saw the development of GUIs, the mouse and handheld devices.
Intel's first microprocessor, the 4004, was conceived by Ted Hoff and
Stanley Mazor.
Image Source:Intel Timeline (PDF)
Image Source:Intel Timeline (PDF)
Fifth Generation: Artificial Intelligence (Present
and Beyond)
Fifth
generation computing devices, based on artificial
intelligence, are still in development, though there are some
applications, such as voice recognition, that
are being used today. The use of parallel processing and
superconductors is helping to make artificial intelligence a reality. Quantum computation and
molecular and nanotechnology will
radically change the face of computers in years to come. The goal of
fifth-generation computing is to develop devices that respond to natural language input and
are capable of learning and self-organization.
Related Links
- IBM 704 Vacuum Tube Assembly
- UNIVAC I History
- The Transistor in a Century of Electronics
- Vintage Computer Chip Collectibles, The Transistor
- ENIAC Museum Online
- IBM Advanced Computing Systems Time
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