Search

Generations of Computers

“A computer would deserve to be called intelligent if it could deceive a human into believing that it was human.” - Alan Turing

The Father of Computer and Computer Science

The Father of Computer Charles Babbage
Invented Difference Engine in 1822
Used tapes for storage
Invented to make accounting easier
The Father of Computer Science Alan Turing
Invented Bombe
Decode German Enigma
Turing Test
Formed basis for Artificial Intelligence
Thomas Harold Flowers
Designed and Built Colossus
The world’s first programmable, electronic, digital computer
2400 electronic valves
Decode wartime code messages

First Generation: 1940s-1950s

Main electronic component: Vacuum Tube (Valves)
Main memory: Magnetic drums and magnetic tapes
Input/Output devices: Punched cards and paper tape
Examples: ENIAC, UNIVAC1, IBM 650, IBM 701, etc.

Second Generation: 1950s-1960s

Main electronic component: Transistor
Main memory: Magnetic core and magnetic tape / disk
Input/Output devices: Punched cards and magnetic tape
Examples: IBM 1401, IBM 7090 and 7094, UNIVAC 1107, etc.

Third Generation: 1960s-1970s

Main electronic component: Integrated Circuits (ICs)
Main memory: Large magnetic core, magnetic tape / disk
Input/Output devices: Magnetic tape, keyboard, monitor, printer, etc.
Examples: IBM 360, IBM 370, PDP-11, UNIVAC 1108, etc.

Fourth Generation: 1970s-Present

Main electronic component: VLSI and Microprocessor
Main memory: Semiconductor Memory
Input/Output devices: Keyboard, monitor, printer, etc.
Examples: IBM PC, STAR 1000, APPLE II, Apple Macintosh, etc

Reference