GENERATION OF COMPUTERS

 First Generation
 Second Generation
 Third Generation
 Fourth Generation
 Fifth Generation
 First Generation
[1939-1954]
 The first electronic computer was completed in 1946 by a
team of Eckert in U.S.A. This computer called Electronic
Numerical Integrator and Calculator (ENIAC) used high
speed vacuum tube. The vacuum tube computers are
referred to as first generation computers. The vacuum
tube was a fragile glass device that could control and
amplify electronic signals. Examples : UNIVAC 1, UNIVAC
2, etc.
 These computer’s design was based on the techniques
already developed for punched card machinery. They had
magnetic drum and punch cards for input and output.
 These computers were of intermediate size and was
designed to meet the requirements of business and
scientific applications.
 The available memories flow from a hundred to thousand
of words.
 First Generation
[1939-1954]
Advantages Disadvantages
 Fastest calculating  Too bulky in size
device of their time.  Air conditioning
 Vacuum tube required
technology made  Prone to frequent
possible the advent of hardware failures
electronic digital  Constant maintenance
computers
required
 Computer programming  Non-portable
was mainly Machine
language and Assembly
language.
 First Generation
[1939-1954]

UNIVAC 1951

UNIVAC 1954 IBM 1950

 Second Generation
[1954-1964]
 The second generation emerged with
transistors being the brain of the computer.
 Transistorized circuits were smaller,
generated little heat, wireless, expensive and
consumed less power than vacuum tube
circuits.
 Examples : IBM 800 series.
 Second Generation
[1954-1964]
Advantages Disadvantages
 Smaller in size as  Air conditioning
compared to first required
generation comp.  Frequent maintenance
 More reliable required
 Less heat generated  Manual assembly of
 Faster in computations individual components
 Less prone to hardware into a functioning unit
failures was required
 Advantages
 Better portability
 Used Magnetic cores for
storage.
 Memory capacity was
about 100 Kilo Bytes.
 High Level languages
Fortran, Cobol etc. were
developed.
Second Generation
[1954-1964]

First Transistor Model

 Third Generation
[1964-1975]
 The third generation was based on Integrated
circuit (IC) technology.
 The IC’s enhanced considerably the processing
capability and the speed of the computer.
 During this period, capability of placing 12 or
more logic gates on a singly chip was developed.
 Thus it started with SSI (12 gates on single
chip), then redefined to MSI(100 or more gates
on single chip) and ends with LSI(1000 to
10,000 gates on single chip).
 Examples : IBM System 360, IBM System 370.
 Third Generation
[1964-1975]
Advantages Disadvantages
 Smaller in size as  Air conditioning is
compared to previous required sometimes
generation computers.  Highly sophisticated
 More reliable than 2nd technology required for
generation computers. the manufacture of IC
 Even lower heat chips.
generated
 Easily portable
 Reduced computational
times
 Low maintenance cost
 Less power
requirement
 Improvement in the
design of magnetic
core memories.
 High level languages
improved.
 Third Generation
[1964-1974]

IC (Integrated Circut)
 Fourth Generation
[1974 Onwards]
 A fourth generation computer, has VLSI chips as
its brain. In the era of Very Large Scale
Integration (VLSI), it was possible to integrate
over 30,000 components onto a single chip.
 The development of microprocessor chips which
contains an entire CPU on a single silicon chip
lead to the growth of inexpensive computers.
 They can perform all the functions of arithmetic,
logic and control unit of CPU.
 Fourth Generation
[1974 Onwards]
Advantages Disadvantages
 Smallest in size Highly sophisticated
because of high technology required
component density for the manufacture
 Very reliable of LSI chips.
 Heat generated is
negligible
 Much faster in
computation
 Hardware failure is
negligible
 Advantages  Unix OS developed.
 Minimal labour and cost  Object oriented
involved at assembly languages c++ and
stage Java emerged.
 Magnetic core  Optical storage devices
memories were came.
replaced by
semiconductor
memories.
 Memory size increases
to 16 MB
 Hard disk of I GB
became common in
1994
 Fourth Generation
[1974 Onwards]

Apple in 1976

Microprocessor
IBM in 1976
 Fifth Generation
 The fifth generation gives the highest priority to making
systems that are easy and natural to use.
 Its other objective relates to the types of technological
support needed to support “problem solving systems”.
 In these systems, “Intelligence will be greatly improved to
approach that of a human being”.
 It has three functional requirements:
a) Easy to use computers with high intelligence and natural
human input and output mechanism.
b) Reliable and efficient software development by new
languages.
c) Improve overall functions and performance, making
computers smaller, lighter, faster, of greater capacity and
more flexible.
 Fifth Generation

Nokia Communicator

Handheld Computer

Apple G4 Wearable Computer