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Home > Did You Know > The Five Generations of Computers

The Five Generations of Computers

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Last Updated: 06-27-2012 , Posted: 01-22-2010

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Each generation of computer is characterized by a major technological

development that fundamentally changed the way computers operate, resulting in

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increasingly smaller, cheaper, more powerful and more efficient and reliable

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The history of computer development is often referred to in reference to the different

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generations of computing devices. Each of the five generation of computers is

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characterized by a major technological development that fundamentally changed

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the way computers operate, resulting in increasingly smaller, cheaper, more

powerful and more efficient and reliable devices. Learn about each generation and
the developments that led to the current devices that we use today.
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First Generation (1940-1956) Vacuum Tubes

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The first computers used vacuum tubes for circuitry and magnetic drums for

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memory, and were often enormous, taking up entire rooms. They were very

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expensive to operate and in addition to using a great deal of electricity, generated a

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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.

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Second Generation (1956-1963) Transistors

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Transistors replaced vacuum tubes and ushered in the second generation of computers. The transistor was invented in 1947

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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

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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

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smaller and cheaper than their predecessors.

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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 computerfrom the central processing unit and memory to input/output
controlson 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

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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

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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

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language input and are capable of learning and self-organization.

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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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