EVOLUTION OF COMPUTER OR COMPETER GENERATION

MEANING OF TERMS

  —  What is Generation?

            The Generation means as a period of time that a technology change from one state to another.

—  What is Computer?

            Is an Electronic machine, which can be programmed to accept data, processing those data and     produces the desired information, (and sometime capable of store those data)

—  What is computer Generation?

            Is a term used to describe the evolution of computing devices and how technology is used to implement different model from the beginning, present and the future of computers.

  According to the type of processor installed in a machine there are five generations of computers

First Generation      (1940-1956)

Second Generation (1956-1963)

Third Generation    (1964- early 70s)

Fourth Generation    (early 70s- 1990s date)

Fifth Generation     (Late 1990s, present & beyond)

First Generation (1940-1956) Vacuum tubes

}  These computers used vacuum tubes for circuitry and magnetic drums for memory.

}   These were the fastest computing devices of their times (the computation time was in milliseconds).

}  These computers were very large

}  Thousands of vacuum tubes were used; generated too much heat, Air-conditions were needed

}  The input and output operations were done using punched card technology.

}  Non portable & very slow

}  Used machine language (i.e. language of 0s & 1s)

}  Very expensive to operate, used large amount of electricity

}  Since machine language was used, these computers were difficult to program and use

}  Each individual component had to be assembled manually

}  Commercial appeal very poor

Examples: ENIAC, EDVAC and UNIVAC.

Second Generation (1956-63) Transistors

}  Second generation computer machines were based on transistor technology.

}  These computers were smaller as compared to the first generation computers.

}  Computational time of Second generation computers was reduced to microseconds from milliseconds.

}  The input operations were performed using punched cards and magnetic tapes and for output operations, punched cards and papers were used.

}  For external storage magnetic tapes were used.

}  These computers used assembly language (used abbreviations).

}   Hence, programming became more time-efficient and less cumbersome.

}  These were more portable and generated less amount of heat.

}  Second-generation computers still required air conditioning.

}  Manual assembly of individual components into a functioning unit was still required.

}  The high level languages like FORTRAN, COBOL, and BASIC etc. were used as the languages by the computer.

Examples: PDP-8,IBM 1401 and IBM 7090

Third Generation (1964-Early 1970s) Integrated Circuits

}  Third Generation Computers were based on integrated circuit (IC) technology.

}  These Computers were able to reduce computational time from microseconds to nanoseconds

}  These Computers devices consumed less power and generated less heat. In some cases, air conditioning was still required.

}  The size of  Third Generation Computers was smaller as compared to previous computers

}  Since hardware of the Third Generation Computers rarely failed, the maintenance cost for it was quite low.

}  For external storage magnetic disks were used.

}  Extensive use of high-level language became possible in Third Generation Computers.

}  Manual assembling of individual components was not required; large requirement of labor and cost was reduced

}  For data input and output operations monitors and keyboards replaced the punched cards.

}   Commercial production became easier and cheaper

Examples: IBM SYSTEM

 

Fourth Generation (Early 1970s- 1990) Microprocessors

}  Fourth-generation computers are microprocessor-based systems (integrated circuit chip)

•      Microprocessor was introduced as CPU.

•      Other peripherals were used like scanner, CRT screen.

}  These computers are very small in size.

}  These are the cheapest among all the other-generation computers.

}  These are portable and quite reliable.

}  These machines generate negligible amount of heat, hence, they do not require air conditioning.

}  Hardware failure is negligible, so minimum maintenance is required.

}  Development of network technologies such as LAN and WAN.

}  G.U.I technology started.

}  GUI and pointing devices (mouse, joysticks etc.) enables users to learn to use the computer quickly.

}  Interconnections of computers lead to better communication and resource sharing.

}  Fourth generation computers are very powerful than previous generations and can easily do more calculation or can run more programs at a time and for more hours.

}  The input output devices were the same monitors, keyboard, printer etc.

Examples: Apple II, Altair 8800 and CRAY-1.

 

Fifth Generation (Late 1990, Present and Beyond)-Artificial Intelligence

}  The computers of this generation use optic fiber technology to handle Artificial Intelligence.

}  These computers have capacity to think and reason which can be used to solve problems where human intelligence is required.

}  Expert Systems are examples of systems implementing Artificial Intelligence (AI).

}  Combinations of some or all of the following technologies:

◦      -parallel processing

◦      -high speed logic and memory chips

◦      -high performance

◦      -voice/data integration;

◦      -artificial intelligence, expert systems

◦      -virtual reality generation

◦      -satellite links

Human and Robot