Generation of Computers Flashcards
First Generation When?
1940 - 1956
First Generation Characteristics
vacuum tube technology
very large
slow and non-portable
For the first generation what did they use vacuum tubes for?
circuitry
For the first generation what did they use magnetic drums for?
memory
What is a magnetic drum?
a metal cylinder coated with magnetic iron-oxide material on which data and program can be stored.
Examples of First Generation
ENAC, EDVAC, and UNIVAC
Second Generation is When?
1956 - 1963
What is a transistor?
made up of semiconductor material like germanium and silicon. It usually had three leads and performed electrical functions such as voltage, current or power amplification with low power requirement.
What generation was magnetic cores and what were they used for?
Second generation (1956 - 1963)
used as primary memory and
magnetic disks as secondary storage devices.
However, they still relied on punched cards for input
and printouts for output
Examples of Second Generation
PDP - 8, IBM 1401, IBM 7090
Characteristics of Second Generation
based on transistor technology
smaller compared to first generation
more portable and generated less heat
When was Third Generation
1964 to Early 1970
What generation was Integrated Circuit?
Third Generation
What is IC
consists of a single
chip with many components such as transistors and resistors fabricated on it
replaced several individually
wired transistor.
instead of punched cards and printouts, users interacted with third generation computers
through keyboards and monitors and interfaced
with operating system
Example of Third Generation
NCR 395 and b6500
Characteristics of Third Generation
based on integrated circuits (ic)
reduce computational time from micro seconds to nano seconds.
Extensive use of high – level language became
possible
When was Fourth Generation
Early 1970 - Till Date
What generation was Microprocessors
Fourth Generation
Define LSI, VLSI, and ULSI
Large Scale Integration
Very Large Scale Integration
Ultra large scale integration
LSI technology allowed what?
thousands of transistors to be
constructed on one small slice of silicon material
VLSI squeezed
hundreds of thousands of
components on to a single ewp
Examples of Fourth Generation
Apple ii, Attair 8800 and CRAY - 1
Characteristics of Fourth Generation
microprocessor based systems
very small computers
GUI and pointing devices enable users to learn to
use the computer quickly
Interconnection of computers leads to better
communication and resource sharing
When was the 5th Generation: Artificial Intelligence
Present and Beyond
