Generation Of Computer

Computer generation is based on technology when there are major technical changes in the computer , such as vacuum tube, transistor and microprocessor.

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Each generation of computers is characterized by a major technical development that fundamentally varies how to work computers, resulting in making a fast, smaller cheap, more powerful, more efficient and more reliable equipment.

In the last 60 years, the development of the computer has been very fast, the development has been in five different steps and each phase is called as generation.

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1. First Generation :~ The first generation period was from 1940-1956. In the first generation computer system, the magnetic drum was used for memory and vacuum tubes used for the circuitry. These computers were very expensive to operate and also use a lots of electricity and generate heat. First generation computer relied on machine language, a low-level programming language understood by computers to operate, and they could solve only one problem at a time. Punch cards, paper tape, and magnetic tape was used as a input and output device.

:~ The main features of the First generation computer are :-

1. Vacuum tube technology

2. Unreliable

3. Supported machine language only

4. Very costly

5. Generated a lot of heat

6. Consumed a lot of electricity

7. Slow input and output devices

8. Huge in size

9. Air condition required

10. Non-portable

2. Second Generation :~ The Second generation period was from 1956-1965. In this generation, transistor was used which was cheaper, consumed less electricity, more compact in size, more reliable and fast compared to the first generation computer. Second generation computers moved from (binary) machine language, low level language to high level language, which allowed programmers to specify instructions in words. At this time, high level programming languages were also being developed, such as the initial version of COBOL and FORTRAN. In this generation, magnetic core was used as the primary memory and magnetic tape was used as the secondary storage devices.

:~ The main features of the Second generation computer are :-

1. Use of transistors

2. Reliable in comparison to first generation computers

3. Smaller size as compared to first generation computers

4. Generated less heat as compared to first generation computers

5. Consumed less electricity as compared to first generation computers

6. Faster than first generation computers

7. Still very costly

8. Air condition required

9. Supported machine and assembly languages

3. Third Generation :~ The Third generation period was from 1965-1971. The Integrated circuit was used in place of the transistor in the third generation computer. The integrated circuit was invented by jack Kilby. The multiprogramming operating system was used in this generation. These were the first computers where users used to interact with the third generation computer through keyboards and monitors. Which allow the device to run many different applications at one time with a central program that monitored the memory. Computers, first time became accessible to a mass audience because they were smaller and cheaper than their predecessors.

:~ The main features of the Third generation computer are :-

1. Use of Integrated circuit

2. More reliable in comparison to previous two generations

3. Smaller size in comparison to previous two generations

4. Generated less heat

5. Faster than

6. Costly

7. AC required

8. Consumed lesser electricity

9. Supported high-level language

4. Fourth Generation :~ The Fourth generation period was from 1971-2010. The fourth generation of computer was used Very Large Scale Integrated (VLSI) circuits. The VLSI circuit consists of about 5000 transistors and other circuit elements with circuits connected on a single chip, making it possible to have a fourth generation microcomputer. The fourth generation of the computer has benefited from the invention of the microprocessor, which is usually known as CPU. As a result, it gave rise to the personal computer (PC) revolution. The higher-level languages such as C, C ++, DBASE etc. were used in this generation.

:~ The main features of the Four generation computer are :-

1. Use of VLSI technology

2. Very cheap

3. Portable and reliable

4. Use of PCs

5. Very small size

6. Pipeline processing

7. No AC required

8. Concept of internet was introduced

9. Great developments in the fields of networks

10. Computers became easily available

5. Fifth generation :~ The Fifth generation period was from 2010. The fifth generation of computer was used Ultra Large Scale Integration (ULSI) technology. Fifth generation is based on parallel processing hardware and Artificial Intelligence ( AI ) software. Artificial Intelligence is an emerging branch in computer science, which interprets the method of making computer, which think like human beings. There are some applications in fifth generation, such as voice recognition, which is being used today. The goal of this generation is to develop devices that are response to the natural language input and are capable in learn and self-organization. All the high-level languages such as C, C++, Java, .Net are used in this generation.