The evolution of computer technology can be segmented into distinct generations, each marked by significant advancements. The first generation utilized vacuum tubes for circuitry, resulting in large, heat-generating machines that occupied entire rooms.
Each one of the five generations of computers is characterized by a major technological development that fundamentally changed the way computers operate.
Most major developments from the 1940's to present day have resulted in increasingly smaller, cheaper, more powerful and more efficient computing devices.
The history of computer development is a computer science topic that is often used to reference the different generations of computing devices.
Fifth Generation: Artificial Intelligence (Present and Beyond)
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. The use of parallel processing and superconductors is helping to make artificial intelligence a reality.
Fourth Generation: Microprocessors (1971-Present)
SubThe microprocessor brought the fourth generation of computers, as thousands of integrated circuits were built onto a single silicon chip. What in the first generation filled an entire room could now fit in the palm of the hand. The Intel 4004 chip, developed in 1971, located all the components of the computer—from the central processing unit and memory to input/output controls—on a single chip.topic
Third Generation: Integrated Circuits (1964-1971)
SuThe development of the integrated circuit was the hallmark of the third generation of computers. Transistors were miniaturized and placed on silicon chips, called semiconductors, which drastically increased the speed and efficiency of computers.btopic
Second Generation: Transistors (1956-1963)
The world would see transistors replace vacuum tubes in the second generation of computers. The transistor was invented at Bell Labs in 1947 but did not see widespread use in computers until the late 1950s.
First Generation: Vacuum Tubes (1940-1956)
The first computer systems used vacuum tubes for circuitry and magnetic drums for memory, and were often enormous, taking up entire rooms. These computers were very expensive to operate and in addition to using a great deal of electricity, the first computers generated a lot of heat, which was often the cause of malfunctions.Subtopic
