Depending on the technology or type of electronic components used, the history of automatic electronic computers can be classified into five generations.
1st Generation Computers :
In 1st generation computers, electronic valves(Vacuum Valves) were used to construct electronic circuits. These large circuits required high consumption of energy and produced high tempreture and heat. the following characteristic were seen in these computer systems.
a) High
cost involvement.
b) Space
requirement was very high.
c) Maintenance
of these computers was very complicated.
d) Only
large research institutions could obtain.
e) Less
programming facilities were available.
2nd Generation Computers :
In 2nd Generation computers transistors (TRANsfers
+ reSISTORS) were used to construct electrtonic circuits. The characteristics
of 2nd generation computers are given below.
a) Less
cost involvement.
b) Computers
were smaller than 1st generation computers.
c) Less
energy consumption.
d) More
programming facilities.
3rd Generation Computers :
In 3rd generation computers integrated circuits
(IC’s / Silicon Chips) were used to circuits.
Because of this integration the size of large or mainframe
computers could be reduced and this type of small-scale multi user systems is
described as mini computer systems.
4th Generation Computers :
Development of micro electronic technology produced integrated
circuits with different levels of integration such as,
SSIC (Small
Scale Integrated Circuits)
MSIC (Medium Scale Integrated Circuits)
LSIC (Large Scale Integrated Circuits)
VLSIC ( Very Large
Scale Integrated Circuits)
Generally CPU combination of a number of large electronic circuits
together. But after the introduction of VLSI circuits this CPU was integrated
and produced as a very small unit. This type of integrated CPU on a small
silicon chip is called a MPU (Micro Processing Unit). Micro Computer or PC uses
MPU as its CPU. With user friendly programming facilities these micro computers
became very popular for business and other professional computer applications. Introduction
to micro computers network (PC based multi-user system), portable computers
such as LAPTOPS, NOTEBOOKS, PALMTOPS can be described as some other achievements
in this generation.
5th Generation Computers :
5th generation computers can be describe as computers in
the future, which use artificial intelligence or knowledge bases
to facilities computer systems to think on their own.
