First generation (1940 - 1956)- Vacuum tube
The
first generation of computers used vacuum tubes as a major piece of technology.
Vacuum tubes were widely used in computers from 1940 through 1956. Vacuum tubes
were larger components and resulted in first-generation computers being quite
large in size, taking up a lot of space in a room. Some of the first-generation
computers took up an entire room.
The
ENIAC is a great example of a first-generation computer. It consisted of nearly
20,000 vacuum tubes, 10,000 capacitors, and 70,000 resistors. It weighed over
30 tons and took up a lot of space, requiring a large room to house it. Other
examples of first-generation computers include the EDSAC, IBM 701, and
Manchester Mark 1.
Second generation (1956 - 1963)
- Transistors
The
second generation of computers saw the use of transistors instead of vacuum
tubes. Transistors were widely used in computers from 1956 to 1963. Transistors
were smaller than vacuum tubes and allowed computers to be smaller in size,
faster in speed, and cheaper to build.
The
first computer to use transistors was the TX-0 and was introduced in 1956.
Other computers that used transistors include the IBM 7070, Philco Transac
S-1000, and RCA 501.
Modern Computer
Third generation (1964 - 1971)- Integrated
Circuit or IC.
The
mass increase in the use of computers accelerated with 'Third Generation'
computers starting around 1966 in the commercial market. These generally relied
on early (sub-1000 transistor)
integrated circuit technology. The third generation ends with the
microprocessor-based 4th generation.
Fourth generation (1972 - 2010){ microprocessor}
Third
generation minicomputers were essentially scaled-down versions of mainframe
computers, whereas the fourth generation's origins are fundamentally different.
The basis of the fourth generation is the microprocessor,
a computer processor contained on a single large-scale integration (LSI) MOS
integrated circuit chip.[29]
Microprocessor-based
computers were originally very limited in their computational ability and speed
and were in no way an attempt to downsize the minicomputer. They were
addressing an entirely different market.
Processing
power and storage capacities have grown beyond all recognition since the 1970s,
but the underlying technology has remained basically the same of large-scale
integration (LSI) or very-large-scale integration (VLSI) microchips, so it is
widely regarded that most of today's computers still belong to the fourth
generation.
Fifth generation (2010 to present)- Hopebot
and AI.
The
fifth generation of computers is beginning to use AI (artificial intelligence),
an exciting technology with many potential applications around the world. Leaps
have been made in AI technology and computers, but there is still room for much
improvement.
One
of the more well-known examples of AI in computers is IBM's Watson, which was featured on the TV show Jeopardy as a
contestant. Other better-known examples include Apple's Siri on the iPhone and
Microsoft's Cortana on Windows 8 and Windows 10 computers. The Google search
engine also utilizes AI to process user searches.
Article
Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/
https://www.computerhope.com/issues/ch001921.htm
