The first computers used vacuum tubes for circuitry and
magnetic drums for memory, and were often enormous,
taking up entire rooms. They were very expensive to
operate and in addition to using a great deal of electricity,
generated a lot of heat, which was often the cause of
malfunctions.
First generation computers relied on machine language, 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.
The UNIVAC and ENIAC computers are examples of first-
generation computing devices. The UNIVAC was the first
commercial computer delivered to a business client, the
U.S. Census Bureau in 1951.
A UNIVAC computer at the Census Bureau
A UNIVAC computer at the Census Bureau.
Image Source: United States Census Bureau
Second Generation (1956-1963) Transistors
Transistors replaced vacuum tubes and ushered in the
second generation of computers. The transistor was
invented in 1947 but did not see widespread use in
computers until the late 1950s. 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.
Though the transistor still generated a great deal of heat
that subjected the computer to damage, it was a vast
improvement over the vacuum tube. Second-generation
computers still relied on punched cards for input and
printouts for output.
Second-generation computers moved from cryptic binary
machine language to symbolic, or assembly, languages,
which allowed programmers to specify instructions in
words. High-level programming languages were also being
developed at this time, such as early versions of COBOL
and FORTRAN. These were also the first computers that
stored their instructions in their memory, which moved
from a magnetic drum to magnetic core technology.
The first computers of this generation were developed for
the atomic energy industry.
Third Generation (1964-1971) Integrated Circuits
The development of the integrated circuit was the hallmark
of the third generation of computers. Transistors were
miniaturized and placed on silicon chips, called
semiconductors, which drastically increased the speed and
efficiency of computers.
Instead of punched cards and printouts, users interacted
with third generation computers through keyboards and
monitors and interfaced with an operating system, which
allowed the device to run many different applications at
one time with a central program that monitored the
memory. Computers for the first time became accessible to
a mass audience because they were smaller and cheaper
than their predecessors.
Fourth Generation (1971-Present) Microprocessors
The microprocessor brought the fourth generation of
computers, as thousands of integrated circuits were built
onto a single silicon chip. What in the first generation filled
an entire room could now fit in the palm of the hand. The
Intel 4004 chip, developed in 1971, located all the
components of the computer—from the central processing
unit and memory to input/output controls—on a single
chip.
In 1981 IBM introduced its first computer for the home
user, and in 1984 Apple introduced the Macintosh.
Microprocessors also moved out of the realm of desktop
computers and into many areas of life as more and more
everyday products began to use microprocessors.
As these small computers became more powerful, they
could be linked together to form networks, which
eventually led to the development of the Internet. Fourth
generation computers also saw the development of GUIs,
the mouse and handheld devices.
Fifth Generation (Present and Beyond) Artificial
Intelligence
Fifth generation computing devices, based on artificial
intelligence, are still in development, though there are
some applications, such as voice recognition, that are being
used today. The use of parallel processing and
superconductors is helping to make artificial intelligence a
reality. Quantum computation and molecular and
nanotechnology will radically change the face of computers
in years to come. The goal of fifth-generation computing is
to develop devices that respond to natural language input
and are capable of learning and self-organization.
DID YOU KNOW…?
An integrated circuit (IC) is a small electronic device made
out of a semiconductor material. The first integrated circuit
was developed in the 1950s by Jack Kilby of Texas
Instruments and Robert Noyce of Fairchild Semiconductor.
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