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Cyrel Justine G. Lonzame
VI Sta. Rita de Cascia

Generations of Computers

First Generation Computer

During the period of 1940 to 1956 first generation of computers were developed. The first generation computers used vacuum tubesfor circuitry and magnetic drums for memory, and were often enormous, taking up entire rooms. The vacuum tube was developed by Lee DeForest. A vacuum tube is a device generally used to amplify a signal by controlling the movement of electrons in an evacuated space. First generation computers 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.

CHARACTERISTICS

1) First generation computers were based on vacuum tubes.
2) The operating systems of the first generation computers were very slow.
3) They were very large in size.
4) Production of the heat was in large amount in first generation computers.
5) Machine language was used for programming.
6) First generation computers were unreliable.
7) They were difficult to program and use.

History

The first generation

With the start of the Second World War, the countries involved in the war machine tried to their potential strategic importance of developing computer misuse.

This increase in funding to accelerate to continue the development of computer engineering and computer science. In 1941 Konrad Zuse, German engineer building a Z3 computer, the design of aircraft and missiles.

Allies of the party, other advances in the development of computers. In 1943 the British put the secret code breaking computer called Colossus to decode German Enigma machine used. The effects of the Colossus have an impact on the development of the computer industry for two reasons.

The work of the Americans in this period produced a little more progress. Howard H. Aiken (1900-1973), engineer at Harvard University to IBM, in the manufacture of electronic calculators for the U.S. Navy was working. The computer has a length of half a football field and has a radius of 500 km of cable.

The Harvd-IBM Automatic Sequence Controlled Calculator, or Mark I, an electronic relay computer. It uses electromagnetic signals to move mechanical components. The machine operates at a slow (it takes 3-5 seconds per calculation) and inflexible (order calculations can not be changed). The calculator provides basic arithmetic and equations are more complex.

Another computer development at present, the Electronic Numerical Integrator and Computer (ENIAC), which was created through cooperation between the governments of the USA and the University of Pennsylvania. Consisting of 18,000 vacuum tubes, 70,000 resistors and 5 million welding, the computer is a machine that consumes enormous 160 kW.

This computer was designed by John Presper Eckert (1919-1995) and John W. Mauchly (1907-1980), ENIAC is a general purpose computer (general-purpose computer) that works 1000 times faster than Mark I.

Mid-1940's John von Neumann (1903-1957), part of a team from the University of Pennsylvania, in an attempt to build a concept that the computer 40 is still used in computer technology. He designed the Electronic Discrete Variable Automatic Computer (EDVAC) in 1945 to respond with a memory for programs or data. This technique can stop the computer at a certain point and then resumed his work.

The primary key of John von Neumann architecture is the Central Processing Unit (CPU), so that each computer functions must be coordinated from a single source. In 1951 was UNIVAC I (Universal Automatic Computer I), by Remington Rand, the first commercial model of computer architecture that uses John von Neumann.

The first generation of computers is the fact that the instructions are designed specifically for a particular task. Each computer has a program called binary machine language. In this way the computer is difficult to program and to the speed limit. Another feature is the use of computer-generation vacuum tube first (the computer that is currently very high) and magnetic cylinders for the storage of data.

Examples:

SECOND GENERATION COMPUTERS

During the period of 1956 to 1963 second generation of computers were developed. The second generation computers emerged with development of Transistors. The transistor was invented in 1947 by three scientists J. Bardeen, H.W. Brattain and W. Shockley. A transistor is a small device made up of semiconductor material like germanium and silicon. Even though the Transistor were developed in 1947 but was not widely used until the end of 50s. The transistor made the second generationcomputers faster, smaller, cheaper, more energy-efficient and more reliable than their first-generation computers. Even though the transistor used in the computer generated enormous amount of heat which ultimately would lead to the damage of the computers but was far better than vacuum tubes.
Second generation computers used the low level language i.e. machine level language and assembly language which made the programmers easier to specify the instructions. Later on High level language programming were introduced such as COBOL and FORTRAN. Magnetic core was used as primary storage. Second generation computer has faster input /output devices which thus brought improvement in the computer.

CHARACTERISTICS
1) Transistors were used in place of vacuum tubes.
2) Second generation computers were smaller in comparison with the first generation computers.
3) They were faster in comparison with the first generation computers.
4) They generated less heat and were less prone to failure.
5) They took comparatively less computational time.
6) Assembly language was used for programming.
7) Second generation computers has faster input/output devices.

History
In 1948, the invention of the transistor significant influence on the development of a computer program. Transistors replaced vacuum tubes in televisions, radios and computers. Therefore, the size of an electronic device is reduced. The transistor was on the computer in 1956. Other findings in the form of magnetic core memory for developing the second generation of computers smaller, faster, more reliable and efficient than their predecessors.

The first machine that this new technology uses a super computer. IBM supercomputer does is stretch and Sprery-Rand a computer named LARC. These machines are developed, nuclear laboratories, the handling of large amounts of data, and a force of atoms of researchers needed. The car was very expensive and tends to be complex for the IT needs of enterprises, thus limiting its popularity.

There are only two LARC never installed and used: one at the Lawrence Radiation Laboratory in Livermore, California and one in the U.S. Navy research and development center in Washington DC replaced the second generation of computer machine language assembler. Assembler is an abbreviation used in place of binary code.

In the early 1960s, many emerging countries in the second generation of computer success in business, academia and government. The computer of the second generation is fully automated with transistors. They also have components that can be coupled to the computer at the moment, a printer, memory, hard disk, memory, operating system and programs.

An important example is the IBM 1401 computer that is generally accepted in the industry. In 1965 almost all large companies have used a computer to the second generation of financial reporting to be developed.

The program in the programming language and programming is stored; there is the possibility of your computer. Flexibility is the performance at a reasonable price for professional improvement. With this approach, the computer could print customer invoices and then design a product or calculate payroll.

Some programming languages began to appear at that time. Programming Common Business Oriented Language (COBOL) and Formula Translator (FORTRAN) are widespread. This programming language, the complex machine replaced by the words, sentences, and mathematical formulas are easier to understand people.

This allows a person to plan and manage the computer. Several new types of careers (programmer, analyst and expert systems). Software industry has also begun to occur in this computer-and second-generation development.

Examples:

THIRD GENERATION COMPUTERS

During the period of 1964 to 1971 Third generation computers were developed. The third generation computers emerged with the development of IC (Integrated Circuits). The invention of the IC was the greatest achievement done in the period of third generation of computers. IC was invented by Robert Noyce and Jack Kilby in 1958-59. IC is a single component containing a number of transistors. Transistors were miniaturized and placed on silicon chips, called semiconductors, which drastically increased the speed and efficiency of computers.
Keyboards and monitors developed during the period of third generation of computers. The third generation computers 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.

CHARACTERISTICS
1) IC was used instead of transistors in the third generation computers.
2) Third generation computers were smaller in size and cheaper as compare to the second generation computers.
3) They were fast and more reliable.
4) High level language was developed.
5)Magnetic core and solid states as main storage.
6) They were able to reduce computational time and had low maintenance cost.
7) Input/Output devices became more sophisticated.

History

In this era, there were several innovations in various fields of computer technology. These include Integrated Circuits (ICs), Semiconductor Memories, Microprogramming, various patterns of parallel processing and introduction of Operating Systems and time-sharing. In the Integrated Circuit, division there was gradual progress. Firstly, there were small-scale integration (SSI) circuits (having 10 devices per chip), which evolved to medium scale integrated (MSI) circuits (having 100 devices per chip). There were also developments of multi-layered printed circuits.
Parallelism became the trend of the time and there were abundant use of multiple functional units, overlapping CPU and I/O operations and internal parallelism in both the instruction and the data streams. Functional parallelism was first embodied in CDC6600, which contained 10 simultaneously operating functional units and 32 independent memory banks. This device of Seymour Cray had a computation of 1 million flopping point per second (1 M Flops). After 5 years CDC7600, the first vector processor was developed by Cray and it boasted of a speed of 10 M Flops. IBM360/91 was a contemporary device and was twice as first as CDC6600, whereas IBM360-195 was comparable to CDC7600. In case of language, this era witnessed the development of CPL i.e. combined programming language (1963). CPL had many difficult features and so in order to simplify it Martin Richards developed BCPL - Basic Computer Programming Language (1967). In 1970 Ken Thompson developed yet another simplification of CPL and called it B.
Examples:

FOURTH GENERATION COMPUTERS

After 1971 the fourth generation computers were built. The fourth generation computers were the extension of third generation technology. The fourth generation computers emerged with development of the VLSI (Very Large Scale Integration).With the help of VLSI technology microprocessor came into existence. The computers were designed by using microprocessor, 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 fourth generation computers became more powerful, compact, reliable and affordable. As a result, they give rise to personal computer (PC) revolution.
For the first time in 1981 IBM introduced its computer for the home user and in 1984 Apple introduced the Macintosh Microprocessor.

CHARACTERISTICS
1) The fourth generation computers have microprocessor-based systems.
2) They are the cheapest among all the computer generation.
3) The speed, accuracy and reliability of the computers were improved in fourth generationcomputers.
4) Many high-level languages were developed in the fourth generation such as COBOL, FORTRAN, BASIC, PASCAL and C language.
5) A Further refinement of input/output devices was developed.
6) Networking between the systems was developed.

History

In this generation were developments of large-scale integration or LSI (1000 devices per chip) and very large-scale integration or V, there LSI (10000 devices per chip). These developments enabled the entire processor to fit into a single chip and in fact, for simple systems, the entire computer with processor; main memory and I/O controllers could fit on a single chip.
Core memories now were replaced by semiconductor memories and high-speed vectors dominated the scenario. Names of few such vectors were Cray1, Cray X-MP and Cyber205. A variety of parallel architectures developed too, but they were mostly in the experimental stage.
As far as programming languages are concerned, there were development of high-level languages like FP or functional programming and PROLOG (programming in logic). Declarative programming style was the basis of these languages where a programmer could leave many details to the compiler or runtime system. Alternatively languages like PASCAL, C used imperative style. Two other conspicuous developments of this era were the C programming language and UNIX operating system. Ritchie, the writer of C and Thompson together used C to write a particular type of UNIX for DEC PDP 11. This C based UNIX was then widely used in many computers.
Another event that is mention worthy was the publication of the report by Peter D. Lax in 1982, which was sponsored by the US department and National Scientific Foundation. The Lax report, as it was called, emphasized on the need of initiatives and coordinated national attention in the arena of high performing computing in the US. The immediate response to the Lax report was the establishment of NSF Supercomputing Centers. Other centers that came up later were San Diego Supercomputing Center, National Center for Supercomputing Applications, Pittsburgh Supercomputing Center, John von Neumann Center and Cornell Theory Center. These institutes had really been instrumental in providing computing time on super computers to the students, training them and also helping in the development of software packages.
Examples:

FIFTH GENERATION COMPUTERS
Fifth generation computers are in developmental stage which is based on theartificial intelligence. The goal of the fifth generation is to develop the devicewhich could respond to natural language input and are capable of learning and self-organization. Quantum computation and molecular and nanotechnology will be used in this technology. So we can say that the fifth generation computers will have the power of human intelligence.

CHARACTERISTICS
1) The fifth generation computers will use super large scale integrated chips.
2) They will have artificial intelligence.
3) They will be able to recognize image and graphs.
4) Fifth generation computer aims to be able to solve highly complex problem including decision making, logical reasoning.
5) They will be able to use more than one CPU for faster processing speed.
6) Fifth generation computers are intended to work with natural language.

History
In this period, computer technology achieved more superiority and parallel processing, which was until limited to vector processing and pipelining, where hundreds of processors could all work on various parts of a single program. There were introduction of systems like the Sequent Balance 8000, which connected up to twenty processors to one shared memory module.
This machine was as competent as the DEC VAX-780 in the context that it had a general purpose UNIX system and each processor worked on a different user's job. On the other hand, INTEL IPSC-I or Hypercube, as it was called, connected each processor to its own memory and used a network interface to connect the processors. With the concept of distributed network coming in, memory posed no further problem and the largest IPSC-I was built with 128 processors. Towards the end of the fifth generation, another parallel processing was introduced in the devices, which were called Data parallel or SIMD. In this system, all the processors operate under the instruction of a single control unit.
In this generation semiconductor memories became the standard were pursued vigorously. Other developments were the increasing use of single user workstations and widespread use of computer networks. Both wide area network (WAN) and local area network (LAN) developed at an incredible pace and led to a distributed computing environment. RISC technology i.e. a particular technique for the internal organization of CPU and the plunging cost of RAM ushered in huge gains in computational power of comparatively cheaper servers and workstations. This generation also witnessed a sharp increase in both quantitative and qualitative aspects of scientific visualization.

Examples:

http://latesttechnomanias.blogspot.com/2010/06/first-generation-computer.html http://pholeytech.blogspot.com/2011/05/history-of-computer-first-generation.html http://latesttechnomanias.blogspot.com/2010/06/second-generation-computers.html http://pholeytech.blogspot.com/2011/05/history-of-computer-second-generation.html http://latesttechnomanias.blogspot.com/2010/06/third-generation-computers.html http://it-history.net/third_generation.html http://it-history.net/forth_generation.html http://latesttechnomanias.blogspot.com/2010/06/fourth-generation-computers.html http://latesttechnomanias.blogspot.com/2010/06/fifth-generation-computers.html
http://it-history.net/fifth_generation.html