Generations of Computers

Generations of Computers

While it would not be wrong to say that the evolution of the computer began with the man's need to count, the actual growth of this field happened in a short span of thirty years. This rapid development was characterized by phases of growth, which have come to be called computer generation led to smaller, cheaper, more powerful and more efficient and reliable computers.

The Five Generations of Computers are :

First Generation - 1940-1956: Vacuum Tubes

The first generation computers used valves leading to huge size and cost. The UNIVAC and ENIAC computers delivered to a business client, the U.S. census Bureau in 1951.

Second Generation - 1956-1963: Transistors

The second Generation computer used Transistors. In a span of ten years, transistors that were more efficient and cheaper replaced valves.

Third Generation - 19664-1971: Integrated Circuits

The third generation computers used Integrated Circuits ( IC ). In the early sixties, a major breakthrough was achieved when hundreds of transistors could be placed on a single silicon chip. This Integrated Chip ( IC ) became the basis of the Third Generation.

Fourth Generation - 1971-Present: Microprocessors

The fourth generation computers used microprocessors. With the introduction of VLSI (Very Large Scale Integration), thousands of transistors could be placed on a single chip.

In 1981 IBM introduced its first computer for the home user, and in 1984 Apple introduced the Macintosh. Fourth generation computers also saw the development of Graphical User Interfaces (GUI s), the mouse and hand held devices.

Fifth Generation - Present and Beyond: Artificial Intelligence

The Fifth Generation computer tries to infuse intelligence into computers. The development of these computers is still in its infancy, but examples can be cited of various speech recognition systems and robots.

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