Generations of Computer

It provides a framework for the growth of the Computer industry. Originally, the term "Generation" was used to distinguish between varying hardware technologies. But nowadays, it has been extented to include both the Hardware and the Software which together make up an entire Computer System.

1. First Generation (1942-1955) :

* THE ENIAC (1943-46) : The Electronic Numerical Integrator and Calculator (ENIAC) was the first electronic Computer. ENIAC was developed as a result of military need.

* THE EDVAC (1946-52) : The operation of ENIAC was seriously handicapped by the wiring board. The Electronic Discrete Variable Automatic Computer (EDVAC) was designed on stored program concept.

* THE EDSAC (1947-49) : The Britishers developed the Electronic Delay Storage Automatic Calculator (EDSAC).

* ENIAC, EDVAC, EDSAC Vacuum Tube Computers are referred to as First Generation Computers.

2. Second Generation (1955-1964) :

The transistor, a smaller and more reliable successor to the Vacuum tube, was invented in  1947. However, Computers that used transistors, were not produced in large quantity until over a decade later. The Second Generation emerged with transistors being the brain of the Computer.

3. Third Generation (1964-1975) :

Advance in electronics technology continued and the advent of "Microelectronics" technology made it possible to integrate large number of circuit elements into very small surface of silicon known as "chips". This new technology was called "Integrated Circuits". The third generation was based on IC technology and the computers that were designed with the use of integrated circuits were called Third Generation Computers.

4. Fourth Generation (1975 onwards) :

Initially, the integrated circuits contained only about ten to twenty components. This technology was named Small Scale Integration(SSI). Later, with the advancement in technology for manufacturing ICs, it became possible to integrate upto a hundred components on a single chip. This technology came to be known as Medium Scale Integration (MSI). Then came the era of large scale integration (LSI) when it was possible to integrate more components onto a single chip.

5. Fifth Generation Computers (Yet to come) :

Scientists are now at work on the fifth generation computers - a promise, but not yet a reality. They aim to bring out machines with genuine I.Q., the ability to reason logically and with real knowledge of the world. The fifth generation will be totally different, totally novel, totally new. Artificial Intelligence (A.I.) is thus emerging from behind the curtains to take its place in real world.