Computer Generation 

Computer generation refers to the technological development or innovation of the computer system with date. Simply, the generation of computer means the gap between the developments of the computer in terms of the technologies. There are lot of changes occurred in computers during the development of computers from 1943 to till now.

Computer generation depends on the device and technology of computer hardware and software, timeline, cost, operating or processing speed, processing capability, storage capacity, size, accuracy, reliability, energy consumption and heat generation.

There are five types of Computer Generation according to their main memory devices (electronic component).

First Generation Computer (1946 to 1958)

Technologies used in 1^st Generation

Technology used:	Vacuum Tubes
Input	Punched Cards
Output	Punched Cards, Paper
Language	Machine Level Language
Storage	Punched Paper Tape, Magnetic Tape etc
Processing Speed	Millisecond
Main memory	Magnetic Drum

Features of First Generation Computer

@ They were Very slow, large in size, consumed a lot of electrical power.

@ Storage capacity was too small only 1 to 4Kb.

@ Used stored program concept.

@ Generate lots of heat.

@ Programming mainly at the hardware level.

@ Non-portable

@ Need of A.C.

@ Few 1st Gen. Computers – Mark – I, ENIAC, EDVAC, EDSAC, UNIVAC etc.

Point To Remember (PTR)

                        Vacuum tubes were developed by Lee De Forest in 1908.

Second generation computer (1959-1965)

Technologies used in 2^nd Generation

Technology used:	Transistors
Input	Punched Cards
Output	Paper
Language	Assembly Level Language
Storage	Magnetic Cores
Processing Speed	Microsecond
Main memory	Magnetic Drum

Features of Second Generation Computer

@  They were Smaller and faster than first generations computers.

@  Consumed less electricity, Generated less heat as compared to first generation computers

@ Still very costly

@ A.C. needed

@ Supported machine and assembly languages

@ Programming mainly at the hardware level.

·         For example - UNIVAC I, ICL 1901, IBM 1401, CDC 3600 etc.

Point To Remember (PTR)

      Transistors were invented by three scientists. They are John Bardeen, William Shockley and Walter Bratain in 1947.

Third generation computer (1965-1971)

Technologies used in 3^rd Generation

Technology used:	Integrated Circuits
Input	Keyboard
Output	Monitor
Language	High Level Language
Storage	Magnetic Disk
Processing Speed	Nanosecond
Main memory	RAM and ROM

Features of third Generation Computer

@ Smaller size, Generated less heat, Faster, Lesser maintenance, still costly.

@ High-level languages (FORTRAN-II TO IV, COBOL, PASCAL PL/1, BASIC, ALGOL-68 etc.) were used during this generation

@ A.C needed.

@ Consumed lesser electricity.

@ Supported high-level language,

@ Used high level language for giving instructions.

@ Programming did not dependent on the hardware level.

@ RAM and ROM were used for memory.

@ High operating speed, multiprogramming, multiprocessing.

@ Mainframe and minicomputer were introduced in this generation.

@ For example: IBM 360, IBM 370 ICL 1900 Series, PDP (Personal Data Processor), -8, PDP-11 series, CDC 7000, control data 3300, 6600 ,7600, Burroughs-6700 etc

Point To Remember (PTR)

      The first IC was developed by John Kilby and Robert Noyce in 1958.

Fourth generation computer (1972 – present)

Technologies used in 4^th Generation

Technology used:	LSI, VLSI, Microprocessor
Input	Keyboard, Mouse, Scanner, etc
Output	Monitor, printer, speaker, plotter etc
Language	High Level Language (Non-procedural)
Storage	Hard Disk, Floppy  Disk, Optical Disk etc
Processing Speed	Picoseconds
Main memory	RAM and ROM

Features of fourth Generation Computer

@ The size was greatly reduced.

@ In this generation time sharing, real time, networks, distributed operating system were used.

@ All the high-level languages like C, C++, DBASE etc., were used in this generation.

@ No A.C. needed, Concept of internet was introduced

@ Portable and reliable, Very small size, Pipeline processing

@ Programming did not dependent on the hardware level.

@ They have very high speed of processing; they are 100 % accurate, reliable, diligent and versatile.

@ The size varies from desktop to laptop or palmtop.

@ For examples – Pentium I/II/III/IV, HP 3033, DEC 10, PDP 11, CRAY-1(Super Computer), CRAY-X-MP(Super Computer), IBM PC, Apple/Macintosh Microcomputer, IBM system/370, UNIVAC 1108, UNIVAC 9000 series, HP-9000, HP-3000, AMD athelon, Cray 2 XMP,

Point To Remember (PTR)

First microprocessor 4004 was invented by Mercian E. Huff, American Intel Corporation in 1971AD.

Fifth generation computer (coming generation)

Technologies used in 5^th Generation

Technology used:	ULSI, Bio-chips or Organic chips
Concept	AI, Neural Network, Parallel processing
Processing Speed	Femtosecond
Language	Natural Language
Main memory	Gallium Arsenide (GaAs)

Some popular terms:

Vacuum Tubes

• The vacuum tube was invented by Lee De Forest in 1907.
• Lee De Forest was born o\in Council Bluffs, Lowa (USA) in August 26, 1873.
• It is a set of metal electrodes and grids contained in a glass or metal tube.
• The Vacuum tube was used in First generations computers.
• Formerly used for amplification and switching in electronic circuits, now used in CRT (Cathode Ray Tube).

Transistors

• Short for: transfer resistor
• It is a solid state semi-conductor device which can be used for amplification, switching, voltage stabilization, signal modulation etc.
• It transfers a signal from a low resistance to high resistance.
• It was invented in 1947 by three Bell Lab scientists John Bardeen, Walter Brattain, and William Shockley.
• Used in second generation computers as major components.

Integrated Circuits (IC)

• An IC is a circuit consisting of a large number of electronic components placed on a single silicon chip by a photolithographic process.
• Jack Kilby invented it in 1958.
• Used in third generation computers as major components.
• IC is used for a variety of devices, including microprocessor, audio and video equipment and automobiles.

Microprocessor

• The microprocessor is a computer processor built onto a single piece of silicon, known as a wafer or chip.
• First microprocessor is Intel 4004 developed by American Intel Corporation in 1971.
• Used in fourth generation computers as a major component.

Artificial Intelligence (AI)

A branch of computer science that refers to the use of computer in such a way that they are able to reason and draw, recognize voice and have language processing ability is called AI.

Biochip

The future device will be used in 5th generation computers, made of large organic molecules and a genetically engineered protein is called Biochip.