The history of the development of computer is often referred to in tracing the different generation of computing devices. Each generation of computer is characterized by a major technological development that fundamentally changed the way computers operate, resulting in increasingly smaller, cheaper, more powerful and efficient and reliable devices.
The first generation computer were entirely electronic. They used vacuum tubes to store instructions. Magnetic drums were used for memory. They were often enormous, taking up entire rooms.They were very expensive to operate and,in addition to using a great deal of electricity, generated a lot of heat which often needed expansive air-conditioning. First generation computer relied on machine language (1s and 0s),the lowest-level programming language understood by computers, to perform operations, and they could solve only one problem at a time.
*The UNIVAC 1,ENIAC and Mark1 computers are example of the first-generation computing devices. The UNIVAC was the first commercial electronic computer
In second generation of computer solid state transistor replaced vacuum tubes in computer.The transistor was far superior than the vacuum tubes, allowing computers to become smaller, faster, cheaper, more energy-efficient and more reliable. To represent date a magnetic core is used in computer. At about the same time magnetic tape and disks began to be widely used as an auxiliary storage. Magnetic disk was layered by iron oxide. Magnetic disks made possible direct access of data.
As a result of these developments,a significant increase in the speed and processing capability of computers was achieved. Businessman began to use computer in increasing number and new high-level programming languages also developed at this time, such as early versions of COBOL and FORTRAN.
Further development in electronics brought further reduction in size, greater reliability, speed and lower coat computer. Integrated circuits (IC)replaced the transistors, which was developed by J.S.Kilbi. this was the hallmark of the third generation of computer.
This development is known as LSI(large scale Integration) and it refers to the ability to compress large number of integrated circuits on a single silicon Chip. There is also VLAI(very Large Scale Integration).
Users interacted with third generations computers through keyboards and monitors and interfaced with an operating system, which allowed the devices to run many different applications at one time with a center program that monitored the memory.
Fourth Generation computer continued to be characterized by chips that can contain increasing numbers of items.this further miniaturization of components, referred to as ULSI( Ultra Large Scale Integration), resulted in Increased speed,greater reliability, and enormous storage capacities for current computers.
By using LSI technology,microprocessor was produced. This microprocessor brought the fourth generation of computers, as thousands of integrated circuits were built onto a single silicon Chip.
As these small computers became more powerful,they could be linked together to form a network, which eventually led to the development of the internet.fourth Generation computers also saw the development of GUIIs,the mouse and handhold devices.
Unlike all other generation computers, present generation of computers is characterized by the use of the technique used to reduce complex programming. This technique is known as Artificial intelligence (AI) . Fifth generation computing devices, based on artificial intelligence, are still in development, though there are some applications, such as voice recognition, that are being used today.
