A generation refers to the state of improvement in the product development. Computer generation is categorized by the use of electronic device (chip), speed, power, memory, size at France conference of 1962. In computer generation size, prize, current power is decreasing and speed, accuracy, memory space and increasing.
The Computers of electronic age are further divided into five generation on the basis of technology used by the computer. The different generations are:
i. First Generation of Computers (1939-1958)
2) Operating Speed: Millisecond range
3) Programming language used: Machine Language
4) Memory used
- Primary Memory: Magnetic core memory
- Secondary Memory: Magnetic Drum, Magnetic tape
5) I/O device: Punched card as input device, printing device as output device.
6) Use: Simple Mathematical calculation.
7) Computers were extremely large in size and they required special cooling system. e.g: ENIVAC, EDVAC, UNIAC, etc.
Advantage:
- Use electronic component
- Digital computer
Disadvantage:
- Large in size
- Consume large amount of electricity
- Product more head (burned out)
- Not reliable
- Expensive
- Air condition was required.
- Without OS
Example: Mark I, ENIAC, EDVAC, EDSAC, UNIVAC (II-1102) Model, ABC, NCR, CRC, IBM 7000, IBM 65 etc.
UNIVAC- Commercial use, ENIAC- General purpose first electronic digital computer.
ABC- Special purpose first electronic digital computer.
ii. Second Generation of Computers(1957-1965):
2) Operation speed: Micro Second Range
3) Programming Language used: Assembly language
4) Memory used:
- Primary Memory: Magnatic Core Memory
- Secondary Memory: Magnetic Drum, Magnetic Tape.
5) I/O: Punched card as input device, printer as output device
6) Use: Computers were used for complex scientific calculations.
7) The size, cost, power requirement, heat generation decreased compared to previous generation. Transistor were more reliable than vacuum tube.
8) Processing sped, storage capacity, use of the computer increased compared to previous generation/first generation
9) Reliable then first generation and used some high level language such as COBOL, FORTRAN.
E.g: IBM 1401, IBM 1400, IBM 1794, IBM 1620, IBM 7094, CDC 164, CDC 1604, CDC 3600, UNIVAC 1108, LEO MARK III, etc.(IBM 701 model used first time operating system (George motor).
iii. Third Generation of Computer(1966-1970)
2) Operating Speed: Nanosecond range(10-9sec)
3) Programming Language used: HLL(High Level Language)
Like: FORTAN, COBOL, PASCAL, C, C++, etc.
4) Memory Used:
- Primary Memory: Semiconductor memory (silicon)
- Secondary Memory: Magnetic Tape, Magnetic disk like floppy disk, hard disk, etc.
5) I/O device: Keyboard as Input device, monitor as output device.
6) Use: Computers were used for managing population census, bank, insurance company etc.
7) Concept of database was developed and used.
8) Size, cost, power requirement, heat decreased compared to previous generations.
9) Processing speed, storage capacity, use of the computer increased compared to previous generations.
- Electronic component/ main technology: IC(Integrated Circuit)
- More reliable
- Minicomputer developed in third generation.
- Speed nanosecond
- Used fan for heat discharge.
- smaller in size
- used high level language
- Developed mouse, keyboard for input.
- real time online operating system(1969)
Advantage:
- High Level Language used
- Monitor/keyboard used for input
- CD used
Disadvantage:
- Air Condition required
Example: IBM system 3, IBM 7, IBM 360, IBM 370, IBM 108, UNIVAC 900, IBM 360 series, ICL 900 series, Honeywell 200 series, PDP-8, minicomputer. TDC 316 etc.
IC and Its Types
- IC is a small silicon chip which contains large number of electronic components like transistor, resistor, capacitor, etc.
- The process of creation of IC is called fabrication.
- Types of IC on the basis of number of electronic components.
- SSI(Small Scale Integration) (1-20 IC)
- MSI(Medium Scale Integration) (21-100 IC)
- LSI(Large Scale Integration) (101-1000 IC)
- VLSI(Very Large Scale Integration) (1001-1000 IC)
- ULSI(Ultra Large Scale Integration) (More than 10000 IC)
1) Technology used: VLSI or (microprocessor)
2) Operating Speed: Pico Second
3) Programming Language used: High Level Language/4GL (Problem Oriented Language)
4) Memory Used:
- Primary: Semi-conductor Memory
- Secondary: Magnetic Tape, Magnetic Disk, Optical Memory(CD/DVD/Blu-ray), Flash memory (Pen drive, memory card)
5) I/O device:
Advanced I/O device like mouse, touch screen, scammer, LCD, LED, color printer, etc. are developed.
6) Use:
Computers are used for different task in different areas like education, business, hospital, transportation, military, etc.
7) Microcomputers like desktop PC, laptop, notebook, etc, are developed.
8) The popular communication media like internet, email, mobile communication, etc. were developed.
9) Advanced, user friendly, web based software, etc. are developed.
10) Size, cost, power requirement, heat generation decreased compared to previous generation.
11) Operating Speed/ Storage capacity: use of computer increased compared to previous generation.
- VLSI(Microprocessor) used
- More reliable
- Smaller size
- Faster processing with UPS power (+5v), 12v
- Totally general purpose.
- Cheaper among all generation computer
- Used DVD/Scanner/Mouse
- High storage capacity
- 100% reliable, accurate
- Personal computer
- Internet used
E.g: Cray-1, Cray-x(super computer), PDP 11, DEC-10(minicomputer). IBM-3000, IBM 6000, IBM RT, HP900, ILLIAC, Pentium, Samsung, Pentium II, Accer, dell etc. IBM desktop PC, HP laptop, Acer notebook, Mac book, etc.
Note: First super computer is (Cray 1)
vi) Fifth Generation of Computers(1991-future)
2) Operating speed: Femto Second range
3) Programming Language to be used: Natural language
4) The computers will have AI.
5) The computers will be used in complex calculation where intelligence of the computer is required.
6) The computers will have parallel processing in full fledge.
7) The computers will be based on KIPS (Knowledge based Information Processing System) ex: Pim/p, Pim/k, pim/l etc.
- It is based on technique of AI(Artificial Intelligence).
- It is used ULIC (Biochips/organic chip and ULIC) for processing element/electronic component.
- It is called future generation.
- Parallel processing/voice/data integration/reorganization.
- Voice recognition system
- Expert system, intelligent knowledge based system(IKBS).
- Virtual reality generation.
- Neural network/Natural language can understand/used.
- Robotics(work as human behavior).
- Prolog programming language used.
- The fifth generation computer project conduct under the sponsorship of the Japanese government emphasized artificial intelligence but that project cancelled by government.
- Super conductor technology (made by gallium).
- Quantum computation and nanotechnology.
- 1956 John Mc Carthy introduce the term AI.
- Used LISP(List processor)
Disadvantage:
- Make lazy to human.
- Jobless human being.
- Human being will be un valuable.