Generations of computer
| First Generation -Vacuum Tubes |
| Second Generation – Transistors |
| Third Generation – Integrated Circuit |
| Fourth Generation – Very large-scale integration |
| Fifth Generation – Ultra large-scale integration |
Generations in detail: –
First Generations: –
Time period – from 1942 -1956
Main electronic device component – Vacuum tube Technology
(Vacuum tube was invented by Sir John Ambrose Fleming in 1904
100 different vacuum tubes were used in order to produce the computers)
Operating system –Batch operating system (offline operating system)
Computing Language – Programming was done using machine language which involved writing instructions directly in Binary code.
Main memory storage unit -Magnetic tape and magnetic drums
Speed –10 -3 milli sec. (Very slow in speed)
Size –Very large in size like an entire room
Input and output devices –Input and output were manged through use of punched cards and paper tape
Features- Limited applications. Limited memory, low processing speed, enormous size, high maintenance
Examples: –
IBM 650, IBM 701 UNIVAC1, ENIAC etc
Second Generations Computer: –
Time period – From 1956-1963
Main electronic device component – Transistor
Transistor was invented by Sir William Shockley in 1947
Operating system – Time sharing operating system
Computing language – Machine language and assembly language were used as programming language
(Assembly language also called low level language. Assembly language converted into binary language through Assembler software)
Main memory storage unit- Magnetic core and magnetic tape/disk
Speed- 10-6 micro sec. higher than first generation but slow
Size- As compared to first generation computers smaller in size, had low power consumption, generate less heat
Input and output devices – Magnetic core and magnetic tape/ disk
Examples: –
IBM 1401, IBM 7094, IBM 7090 UNIVAC 1107, CDC 604, PDP8
TX-O (first transistor-based computer)
Third generation computer: –
Time period – (1963-1975)
Main Electronic computing Device – Integrated Circuits (ICs)
ICs where multiple transistors, resistors and capacitors were fabricated on a single silicon chip.
Integrated circuit was founded by Jack Kilby and Robert Noyce
Two types of transistors were used during 3rd generations
Small scale integration – 1 to 10 transistors
Medium scale integration – 10-500 transistors
Operating system – Multi programming, Time sharing operating system and Remote processing operating system
Computing language – Support high level programming language like Fortran COBOL, BASIC, Pascal and ALGOL made programming more accessible and portable.
Main memory storage unit- Large magnetic core and magnetic tape /disk
Speed – 10-9 nano sec.
Size – Smaller in size consume less electricity and generate less heat than predecessors and the computers are called minicomputers.
Input and output devices – Keyboards, magnetic tape, monitor, printer
Examples: –
IBM 360, IBM 370, PDP 11, NCR 395, B6500, UNIVAC 1108
Fourth Generations: –
Time period between 1975-1989
Main Electronic Computing Device – VLSI and Microprocessor
VLSI- Very Large-scale Integration technology allowed for the integration of thousands to millions of transistors and other circuit components attached on a single silicon chip.
Microprocessor – The introduction of the microprocessor on a single chip was a defining characteristics of fourth generation. The microprocessor was first invented by Ted Hoff and Stanley Mazor who conceived the core idea of and Federico Faggin who designed world’s first commercially available single chip microprocessor, Intel 4004 in 1971 India’s first microprocessor is SHAKTI developed by IIT Madras and Semi-
conductor lab Chandigarh in 2018
Two types of transistors were used during fourth generations –
Large scale integration – 500 -20,000 transistors
Large scale integration (in microprocessors)- 20,000- 10 lakhs transistors
Operating system – Multitasking programming
Computing Language– Very high-level popular programming languages were used like C#, JAVA, Python, JavaScript, Query language (SQL), DBMS, C, C++
Main memory storage unit – semiconductor memory storage units such as ROM, RAM were introduced. RAM temporarily stores the data and programs and content are retained even. After computer is shut down
Size – smaller in size
Speed– 10-12 (Pico second)
Input and output devices – Magnetic tape, monitor keyboard, printer, mouse etc
Features– less expensive, faster than other, very less heat
Examples of fourth generations
IBM PC STAR 1000, APPLE II, APPLE MACINTOSH, ALTER 8800
Fifth Generations: –
Time period till 1989
Main Electronic Computing Device– Artificial Intelligence, Ultra Large-Scale Integration (ULSI) and Super Scale Integration (SSI)
AI- Artificial Intelligence. The father of AI is Jhon McCarthy. He coined this term in 1956
ULSI – Ultra Large-scale Integration
SSI – Super Scale Integration also called Giant Scale Integration
Operating System– KIPS (Knowledge based)
Number of transistors used in this generation: –
Ultra Large-Scale Integration – 10 lakh -100 Lakh transistors
Super/Giant Scale Integration – 100 lakh + transistors
Speed- Very fast
Size- very small
Language- These computers are designed to understand and respond to human language
Main Memory Storage unit- These are portable and have a huge storage capacity
Input and Output devices– Keyboards, monitors, touchscreen pens, printers, plotters, light scanners and so on
Features: – Portable, less expensive, small in size, very fast, very less heat, understands human language, superconducting technology, advanced user interface, ULSI technology
Examples: –
Desktops, Laptops, Tablets, smartphones, Robot, Chat GPT, DeepSeek, Alexa, Apple Siri etc
Param 8000- Super computer, Bio Computer