Generations Of Computer

A generation refers to the state of improvement in the development of system. Computers are built of electromechanical, before generation. Each generation of computer is characterised by a major technological development that fundamentally changed the way, computers operate.

Generation	Switching	Storage Device/Speed	Operating System	Characteristics	Applications
First (1940-56)	Vacuum tubes	Magnetic drums (333 micro seconds)	Batch operating system (Machine language (Binary number 0’s and 1’s)	ü  Fastest computing device. ü  Generate large amount of heat. ü  Non-portable.	ü  Used for scientific purpose e.g. ENIAC, UNIVAC, MARK-1, etc.
Second (1956-63)	Transistors (Made up of semiconductor)	Magnetic core technology (10 micro seconds)	Time sharing OS, Multitasking OS (Assembly language, high level language)	ü  More reliable and less prone to hardware failure. ü  Portable and generate less amount of heat.	ü  Used for commercial production e.g. PDP-8, IBM-1401, etc.
Third (1964-71)	Third (1964-71) Integrated Circuits (ICs) (Made up of silicon)	Magnetic core as primary storage medium (100 nano seconds)	Real-time system (High level language (FORTRAN, COBOL, ALGOL))	ü  Consumed less power. ü  Highly sophisticated technology required.	ü  Database management system e.g. NCR-395, B6500, etc.
Fourth (1971-80)	Large Scale Integrated (LSI) circuit microprocessor	Semi conductor memory, Winchester disc (300 nano seconds)	Time sharing, GUI interface (PASCAL, ADA, COBOL-74, FORTRAN IV)	ü  More reliable and portable. ü  This generation leads to better communication and resource sharing ü  Distributed system, e.g. Intel 4004 chip, Macintosh.	ü  Distributed system, e.g. Intel 4004 chip, Macintosh.
Fifth (Present and Beyond)	Super Large Scale Integrated (SLSI) chips	Optical disc	Knowledge Information Processing System	ü  Parallel processing. ü  Intel core microprocessor is implemented. ü  Enables mega chips.	ü  Artificial intelligence e.g. Robotics

  Tit-Bits

■     Siddhartha was the first computer developed in India.

■     Alan Turing is known as the father of the modern computer.

■     John Von Neumann was introduced first architecture of computer in the year 1948.

■     Transistors were invented by Bell Laboratory.

■     In 1958, Jack St. Clair Kilby and Robert Noyce invented the first IC.

■     In latest generation computers, the instructions are executed parallel as well as sequential.