Generations of Computers

In this article, we shall learn about the different generations of computers along with the technology used, advantages and disadvantages.

The term computer generation means the change and evolution in computer hardware and software. Till date, there are a total of five generations of computers. This classification of computers in different generations is mainly based on the technology used in the manufacturing and operation of computers. The new innovations in the field of technology made computers more efficient and inexpensive.

Generations of Computer

Now, we will discuss all five generations of computer one by one by considering various aspects like technology, a processing element, memory, period, etc.

First Generation of Computer

The period 1942 to 1956 is considered the period of the first generation. The computers of the first generation used vacuum tubes and valves as the main electronic component. These computers use magnetic drums for data storage in the computer system. The computers of first are very large in size, thus these require a very large area for installation such as an entire room.

First-generation computers generate a lot of heat. Therefore, these require air conditioning to cool them, which makes their care complicated. These computers support machine language (binary language) for programming. As they use vacuum tubes as the processing element, which is a less efficient electronic switching device. Consequently, the computers of the first generation consume a lot of electricity.

In the computers of the first generation, punched cards and paper tapes are used for inputting the data and instructions into the system. These computers were able to process only a single task at a time. The popular examples of computers of the first generation are ENIAC (Electronic Numerical Integrator and Calculator), EDVAC (Electronic Discrete Variable Automatic Computer), IBM 701, etc.

Second Generation of Computer

The period of the second generation of computers is 1956 to 1965. The computers of the second generation use transistors as their main electronic component for data processing. A transistor is a comparatively more efficient switching device when compared to a vacuum tube. Also, a transistor requires less electric power to function, as a result, the computers of the second generation consume less electricity.

The computers of the second generation are more reliable and less expensive than that of the first generation. However, still these computers produce a lot of heat, therefore they also need air conditioning.

In the second generation of computers, the magnetic core is used as the primary memory and the magnetic tape and magnetic disc as the secondary memory. These computers use assembly, COBOL, FORTRAN, etc. as the programming languages. Popular examples of second-generation computers are IBM 1620, CDC 1604, UNIVAC 1108, etc.

Third Generation of Computer

The third-generation computers were developed in the period 1965 to 1975. The computers of the third generation use ICs (Integrated Circuits) as their main electronic component instead of transistors (used in second-generation computers). An integrated circuit (IC) is nothing but an electronic circuit which combines a large number of transistors, resistors and capacitors on a single chip made of a semiconductor material such as silicon.

The integrated circuits or ICs are very small in size as a result the size of computers of the third generation is reduced considerably. The computers of this generation use the keyboard as the input device and a monitor as the output device. The concept of an operating system was also introduced in the third generation of computers. The concept of time-sharing and multi-programming operation systems was introduced in this generation. Also, several new high-level computer programming languages such as FORTRAN-IV, Pascal, BASIC, etc. were also launched in the third generation.

Popular examples of computers of the third generation are the IBM-360, Honeywell-600 series, IBM-370, PDP (Personal Data Processor), etc.

Fourth Generation of Computer

The period of fourth generation of computers was from 1975 to 1988. The computers of the fourth generation use a microprocessor as their CPU (Central Processing Unit). Therefore, the computers of this generation are also called microcomputers. A microprocessor is an integrated circuit which is manufactured using VLSI (Very Large-Scale Integration) technology.

In a microprocessor chip, all the components of the CPU of the computer are integrated into a single chip. As a result, the computers of the fourth generation become more compact than that of the third generation. Therefore, a new type of computer called personal computer (PC) or desktop computer came into the picture.

In the fourth-generation computers, time-sharing, real-time processing, and distributed operating systems were used. The computers of this generation use new high-level computer programming languages such as C, C++, etc. The concept of a database was also introduced in this generation. Popular examples of the computers of fourth-generation computers are IBM 4341, PDP 11, DEC 10, STAR 1000, etc.

Fifth Generation of Computer

The period of the fifth generation of computers is from 1988 to till date. The computers of the fifth generation use ULSI-based microchips for data processing. Where, the ULSI, which stands for Ultra Large-Scale Integration, is a technology of IC (integrated circuit) manufacturing in which around 1 million (10 Lakhs) electronic components are integrated on a semiconductor chip.  The computers of this generation are the most efficient, reliable, less expensive and compact in size.

In the fifth generation, several concepts of advanced computing such as AI (Artificial Intelligence), voice recognition, natural language processing (NLP), optical fibre, etc. are introduced. The high-level language of computer programming such as Java, VB (Visual Basic), .NET, etc. is also launched in the fifth generation. Popular examples of computers of the fifth generation are desktops, laptops, notebooks, ChromeBook, UltraBooks, etc.

Summary of Computer Generations

We discussed all five generations of computers in the above sections in detail. The most important points about computer generation are summarized in the following table:

Conclusion

In this article, we have described the total five generations of computers in detail along with a brief summary table. The new innovations and developments in the field of computers, IT and electronics made computers more reliable, inexpensive, compact and powerful. With time, we will see new transformations in the field of computers and IT.