GENERATIONS OF

COMPUTERS
BY:TOOBA NADEEM
SUBMIT TO: MAM IFFAT ANJUM
BSBI-13
9/14/2015
 COMPUTERS are widely used today in every area of life. They are very
versatile devices known for their speed, accuracy and diligence etc. They save
our time and energy by performing arithmetical and logical operations much
fastly and accurately then any human being. In short they are life saver for man
in 21st century. This is one side of the picture. Question arises how these
versatile devices came into being? It’s been a long journey of inventions and
developments from huge, non-portable computers to small, efficient and
portable computers nowadays. This journey is divided into many generations.

WHAT IS A COMPUTER GENERATION?

A generation in computers refers to the state of improvement in the product

development process. This term is also used in the different advancements of
new computer technology. With each new generation, the circuitry has gotten
smaller and more advanced than the previous generation before it. As a result of
the miniaturization, speed, power, and computer memory has proportionally
increased. Each generation of computers is characterized by major technological
development that fundamentally changed the way computers operate, resulting
in increasingly smaller, cheaper, and more powerful and more efficient and
reliable devices.

There are total five generations of computers which are listed below:-

 FIRST GENERATION (1942-1955)

 SECOND GENERATION (1955-1964)

 THIRD GENERATION (1965-1972)

 FOURTH GENERATION (1973-1990)

 FIFTH GENERATION (1990-till now)

 GENERATIONS OF COMPUTERS
(BRIEF OVERVIEW)

 FIRST GENERATION OF COMPUTERS :-

TIME PERIOD:
 The period of first generation was 1942-1954.
WORKING:
 First generation of computer started with using vacuum tubes as the
basic components for circuitry for CPU (Central Processing Unit).
 The first computers used magnetic drums for memory, which provide
very less data storage.
 They support machine language only, the lowest-level programming
language understood by computers, to perform operations, and they could
only solve one problem at a time. Input was based on punched cards and
paper tape, and output was displayed on printouts.
MAJOR CHARACTERISTICS:
 In addition to using a great deal of electricity, they generate a lot of
heat. Hence air conditioning was required.
 They were very expensive to operate
 They are unreliable.
 They are of huge size therefore they are non portable.
 They have limited programming capabilities.
 They are not versatile and are very faulty.
Some computers of this generation were:
 UNIVAC (Universal Automatic Computer).
 EDVAC (Electronic Discrete Variable Automatic Computer).
 ENIAC (Electronic Numerical Integrator and Calculator).

Electronic Discrete Variable Automatic Computer (EDVAC).

  SECOND GENERATION OF COMPUTERS :-
 The period of second generation was 1955-1964.
 Transistors replaced vacuum tubes in the second generation of
computers. The transistor was far superior to the vacuum tube, allowing
computers to become smaller, faster, cheaper, more energy-efficient and
more reliable than their first-generation predecessors.
 In this generation, magnetic ferrite cores (random access non-volatile
memory) were used as primary memory and magnetic tape and magnetic
disks as secondary storage devices.
 In this generation assembly language and high level programming
language like FORTRAN, COBOL was used.
 Punched cards continued as input method during this period also.
 The transistor still generated a great deal of heat that subjected the
computer to damage, Hence air conditioning was required.
 They are also costly, and non versatile.
 Their size is smaller than first-generation predecessors, but still not
portable.
 They are only used for specific purposes.
 Their accuracy, speed and reliability was improved then first generation
ones.
 They have wider commercial uses.

Some computers of this generation were:

 IBM 1620 , CDC 3600

 UNIVAC 1108 , CDC 1604
 IBM 7094

A SECOND GENERATION COMPUTER

 THIRD GENERATION OF COMPUTERS :-
 The period of third generation was 1965-1972.
 The third generation of computer is marked by the use of Integrated
Circuits (IC's) in place of transistors. A single I.C has many transistors,
resistors and capacitors along with the associated circuitry.
 In this generation Remote processing, Time-sharing, Real-time, Multi-
programming Operating System were used. Faster processors.
 High level language (FORTRAN-II TO IV, COBOL, PASCAL PL/1,
BASIC, ALGOL-68 etc.) were used during this generation.
 In the beginning magnetic core memories were used. Later they were
replaced by semiconductor memories (RAM & ROM)
 Smaller & better performance (more accurate than previous
generations.
 Cache and virtual memories were introduced (Cache memory makes the
main memory appear faster than it really is. Virtual memory makes it
appear larger)
 Database management, multi-user application, online systems like
closed loop process control, airline reservation, interactive query systems,
automatic industrial control etc emerged during this period.
 They were versatile to an extent and require lesser maintenance.
 Size, cost, power requirement, heat generation decreased compared to
previous generations.
Some computers of this generation were:
 IBM-360 series
 Honeywell-6000 series
 PDP(Personal Data Processor)
 IBM-370/168
 TDC-31
 FOURTH GENERATION OF COMPUTERS:
 The period of Fourth Generation was 1972-1990.
 The fourth generation of computers is marked by the use of Very Large
Scale Integrated (VLSI) circuits (or Microprocessor). VLSI circuits
having about 5000 transistors and other circuit elements and their
associated circuits on a single chip. Microprocessors were introduced as
CPU– Complete processors.
 Advanced Input/output devices like mouse, touch screen, scanner,
LCD, LED, colour printer, etc are developed.
 Semiconductor memory chips were used as the main memory. ƒ
Secondary memory was composed of hard disks – Floppy disks &
magnetic tapes were used for backup memory.
 All the Higher level languages like C and C++, DBASE etc. were used
in this generation.
 Parallelism, pipelining cache memory and virtual memory were applied
in a better way.
 No A.C. needed
 The concept of internet was introduced, great developments in the fields
of networks.
 These computers became easily available very cheap, portable and
reliable.
 Less power consumption, high performance, lower cost and increased
speed of operation are the key features.

Some computers of this generation were:

 DEC 10
 STAR 1000
 PDP 11
 CRAY-1(Super Computer)
 CRAY-X-MP(Super Computer)
 FIFTH GENERATION OF COMPUTERS:
 The period of fifth Generation is 1990-till date.
 In the fifth generation, the VLSI technology became ULSI (Ultra Large
Scale Integration) technology, resulting in the production of
microprocessor chips having ten million electronic components.
 This generation is based on parallel processing hardware and AI
(Artificial Intelligence) software.
 Computers use extensive parallel processing, multiple pipelines, multiple
processors etc.
 Massive parallel machines and extensively distributed system connected
by communication networks fall in this category.
 Superscalar processors, Vector processors, SIMD processors, 32 bit
micro controllers and embedded processors, Digital Signal Processors
(DSP) etc have been developed.
 Memory chips up to 1 GB, hard disk drives up to 180 GB and optical
disks up to 27 GB are available (still the capacity is increasing).
 Object oriented language like JAVA suitable for internet programming
has been developed. Introduced World Wide Web
 Portable notebook computers are introduced.
 Storage technology advanced.
 New operating systems developed – Windows 95/98/XP/…, LINUX, etc.
Some computer types of this generation are:
 Desktop/ Laptop
 IBM Notebooks
 Ultra Book,
 Pentium PCs
 Pentium 1/2/3/4/Dual core/Quad core.
 SUN work stations,
 Origin 2000,
 PARAM 10000,
 IBM SP/2
 QUICK COMPARISON OF MAJOR CHARACTERISTICS
OF COMPUTERS OF EACH ERA.
First Gen. Second Third Gen. Fourth Gen. of Fifth Gen.
of Gen. of of Computers of
Computers Computers Computers Computers

Time period 1942-1955 1955-1964 1965-1972 1972-1990 1990-till now

Technology Vacuum Transistors. Integrated VLSI, ULSI

used tubes. Circuit. microprocessor. technology.

Operating Millisecond Microsecond Nanosecond Pico second Femto

speed range range range range second range

Program- Machine Assembly HLL (High 4GL (Problem Natural

Ming. language language Level Oriented language
language Language) Language)

Primary Magnetic Magnetic Semi Semi-

memory core core conductor conductor
memory memory. memory memory

Secondary Magnetic Magnetic Magnetic Magnetic Disk,

drum/tape drum/tape disk Optical
memory
memory

Input device Punched Punched Keyboard mouse, touch

card card screen,
scanner,

Output Printer Printer monitor LCD, LED,

device colour printer.

Accuracy, Less Rel. more Rel. more Much accurate, Most

reliability. accurate, accurate, accurate, accurate,
Much reliable.
less reliable more more
Most
 reliable reliable reliable.

Portability No. No. Less. Yes. Yes.

Electrical More. More. Relatively Relatively less. Less.

Power less.
consumption

Heat , More heat More heat Less heat. Less heat. Less heat.

requires AC. Yes. Yes No (fan). No. No.

Advancement Less. Less. Rel. more. More. Most

advanced.

Internet No. No. No. Yes. Yes.

Examples