Generation’s of Computer

Generation Key Hardware Key Software Key Characteristics Some Representative

(Period) Technologies Technologies Systems
First  Vacuum tubes  Machine and  Bulky in size  ENIAC
(1942-1955)  Electromagnetic assembly  Highly unreliable  EDVAC
relay memory languages  Limited  EDSAC
 Punched cards  Stored program commercial use  UNIVAC I
secondary storage concept and costly  IBM 701
 Mostly scientific  Difficult
applications commercial
production
 Difficult to use

Second  Transistors  Batch operating  Faster, smaller,  Honeywell 400

(1955-1964)  Magnetic cores system more reliable and  IBM 7030
memory  High-level easier to program  CDC 1604
 Magnetic tapes programming than previous  UNIVAC LARC
 Disks for languages generation
secondary storage  Scientific and systems
commercial  Commercial
applications production was
still difficult and
costly

Generation Key Hardware Key Software Key Characteristics Some Representative

(Period) Technologies Technologies Systems
Third  ICs with SSI and  Timesharing  Faster, smaller,  IBM 360/370
(1964-1975) MSI technologies operating system more reliable,  PDP-8
 Larger magnetic  Standardization of easier and  PDP-11
cores memory high-level cheaper to  CDC 6600
 Larger capacity programming produce
disks and languages  Commercially,
magnetic tapes  Unbundling of easier to use, and
secondary storage software from easier to upgrade
 Minicomputers; hardware than previous
upward generation
compatible family systems
of computers  Scientific,
commercial and
interactive on-
line applications
Fourth  ICs with VLSI  Operating systems  Small, affordable,  IBM PC and its
(1975-1989) technology for PCs with GUI reliable, and easy clones
 Microprocessors; and multiple to use PCs  Apple II
semiconductor windows on a  More powerful  TRS-80
memory single terminal and reliable  VAX 9000
 Larger capacity screen mainframe  CRAY-1
hard disks as in-  Multiprocessing systems and  CRAY-2
built secondary OS with supercomputers  CRAY-X/MP
storage concurrent  Totally general
 Magnetic tapes programming purpose machines
and floppy disks languages  Easier to produce
as portable  UNIX operating commercially
storage media system with C  Easier to upgrade
 Personal programming  Rapid software
computers language development
 Supercomputers  Object-oriented possible
based on parallel design and
vector processing programming
and symmetric  PC, Network-
multiprocessing based, and
technologies supercomputing
 Spread of high- applications
speed computer
networks
Generation Key Hardware Key Software Key Characteristics Some Representative
(Period) Technologies Technologies Systems
Fifth  ICs with ULSI  Micro-kernel  Portable  IBM notebooks
(1989- Present) technology based, computers  Pentium PCs
 Larger capacity multithreading,  Powerful,  SUN Workstations
main memory, distributed OS cheaper, reliable,  IBM SP/2
hard disks with  Parallel and easier to use  SGI Origin 2000
RAID support programming desktop machines  PARAM 10000
 Optical disks as libraries like MPI  Powerful
portable read- & PVM supercomputers
only storage  JAVA  High uptime due
media  World Wide Web to hot-pluggable
 Notebooks,  Multimedia, components
powerful desktop Internet  Totally general
PCs and applications purpose machines
workstations  More complex  Easier to produce
 Powerful servers, supercomputing commercially,
supercomputers applications easier to upgrade
 Internet  Rapid software
 Cluster computing development
possible
Abbreviation’s:
1. EDVAC (Electronic Discrete Variable Automatic Computer)
2. UNIVAC I (UNIVersal Automatic Computer I)
3. ENIAC (Electronic Numerical Integrator And Computer)
4. EDSAC (Electronic Delay Storage Automatic Calculator)
5. IBM (International Business Machine)
6. SSI (Small Scale Integration)
7. MSI (Medium Scale Integration)
8. VLSI (Very large Scale Integration)
9. ULSI (Ultra Large Scale Integration)
10. ICS (Integrated Circuits)
11. PCS (Personal Computers)
12. OS (Operating System)
13. CPU (Central Processing Unit)
14. ALU (Arithmetic Logic Unit)
15. CU (Control Unit)