The Basic of First Generation Computer

Md. Mahfuzul Yamin ID:141-15-3429, Student-Department of CSE, Daffodil International University , Dhanmondi-32, Dhaka1207.
E-mail : yamin3429@diu.edu.bd
AbstractThis report provides an in-depth view on the
technologies being considered for Basic of the First
Generation Computer.
Generation in computer terminology is a change in technology
a computer is/was being used. Initially, the generation term
was used to distinguish between varying hardware
technologies. But nowadays, generation includes both
hardware and software, which together make up an entire
computer system.
I.

INTRODUCTION

The first generation of computers is said by some to have

started in 1946 with ENIAC, the first 'computer' to use
electronic valves (ie. vacuum tubes). Others would say it
started in May 1949 with the introduction of EDSAC, the first
stored program computer. Whichever, the distinguishing
feature of the first generation computers was the use of
electronic valves.
My personal take on this is that ENIAC was the World's first
electronic calculator and that the era of the first generation
computers began in 1946 because that was the year when
people consciously set out to build stored program computers
(many won't agree, and I don't intend to debate it). The first
past the post, as it were, was the EDSAC in 1949. The period
closed about 1958 with the introduction of transistors and the
general adoption of ferrite core memories.
OECD figures indicate that by the end of 1958 about 2,500
first generation computers were installed world-wide.
(Compare this with the number of PCs shipped world-wide in
just the third quarter of 2006, quoted as 59.1 million units by
research company Gartner).
Two key events took place in the summer of 1946 at the
Moore School of Electrical Engineering at the University of
Pennsylvania. One was the completion of the ENIAC. The
other was the delivery of a course of lectures on "The Theory
and Techniques of Electronic Digital Computers". In
particular, they described the need to store the instructions to
manipulate data in the computer along with the data. The
design features worked out by John von Neumann and his
colleagues and described in these lectures laid the foundation
for the development of the first generation of computers. That
just left the technical problems!

II.

THE PERIOD OF FIRST

GENERATION WAS

1942-1954.

First generation of computer started with using vacuum tubes

as the basic components for memory and circuitry for
CPU(Central Processing Unit). These tubes like electric bulbs
produced a lot of heat and were prone to frequent fusing of the
installations, therefore, were very expensive and could be
afforded only by very large organizations.
In this generation mainly batch processing operating system
were used. In this generation Punched cards, Paper tape,
Magnetic tape Input & Output device were used.
There were Machine code and electric wired board languages
used.

IV.
ADVANTAGE AND
DISADVANTAGE OF THE FIRST GENERATION
COMPUTER

Vacuum tube technology made possible to make

electronic digital computers.

These computers could calculate data in millisecond.

III.

THE MAIN FEATURE

OF FIRT GENERATION COMPUTER

The main features of First Generation are:

Vacuum tube technology
Unreliable
Supported Machine language only
Very costly
Generate lot of heat
Slow Input/Output device
Huge size
Need of A.C.
Non portable
Consumed lot of electricity

Disadvantages
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.

Used punch cards for input.

Not versatile and very faulty.

Some computer of this generation were:ENIAC

EDVAC
UNIVAC
IBM-701
IBM-650

Advantages
Vacuum tubes were the only electronic component
available during those days.