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THE GENERATIONS OF COMPUTER

FIRST GENERATION

(1951-1958)

VACUUM TUBE

1. Vacuum tubes as their main logic elements

2. Punch Cards to input and externally stored data

3. Rotating magnetic drums for internal storage of data and programs

1. Program written in

* Machine Language

* Assembly Language

INNOVATIONS

Vacuum tubes look similar to light bulbs. This was the first major electrical parts of a computer replacing manual switches. After the introduction of vacuum tubes, there were no problems with mechanical gears, pulley or levers. Vacuum tubes marked the end of mechanical computing and the beginning of electronics in computer.

What is Vacuum Tubes?

This how Vacuum tube looks like

First generation computers hadvacuum tubes, resistors, and weldedmetal joints. They were very slow,expensive, and produced a lot of heat. Inaddition, first generation computersoften broke down because of burned outvacuum tubes.

Characteristic of the Vacuum Tubes

First generation computers alsoneeded many experts to operatethem. In fact, when thesecomputers were running, peoplestood by with shopping carts fullof replacement tubes.

COMPUTERS WITH VACUUM TUBES

In 1945 – Presper Eckert andJohn Mauchly developed the firstoperational electronic digitalcomputer called ENIAC, for the USArmy. ENIAC was over 1000 timesfaster than Mark I, and could perform5,000 additions per second.

ENIAC- Electronic Numerical Integrator And Calculator

ENIAC I

ENIAC had more than 18,000 vacuum tubes, and took up to 1,800 square feet of space. In addition, the electrical current ENIAC required could power more than a thousand modern computers today. Today, ENIAC’s technology could fit in a modern wristwatch.

In 1951 the UNIVAC – 1 became the firstcommercially available electroniccomputer. This computer was designed byEckert and Mauchly and built by theRemington Rand Company. The first ofthese computers was delivered to the USCensus Bureau.

UNIVAC – 1 Universal Automatic Computer

UNIVAC 1

Between 1951 and 1953, magnetic core memory was developed. This memory consist of tiny ferrite donuts that were arranged on a lattice of wires.

Sixty years ago, the IBM 701 was formally announced. Its official name was the Defense Calculator, “specifically selected to appeal to the patriotism of the older Watson and to avoid the use of the unacceptable word, computer,” according to Emerson Pugh in Building IBM.

IBM 701

IBM’s first electronic business computer.

IBM 701

The Second Generation of Computer

TRANSISTOR – (1959-1963)

1. Vacuum tubes replaced by transistors as main logic element.

2. Magnetic tape and disks began to replace punched cards as external storage devices.

3. Magnetic cores strung on wire within the computer became the primary internal storage technology.

High level programming language

E.G. FORTRAN and COBOL

INNOVATIONS AND CHARACTERISTICS

Crystalline mineral materials called semiconductors could be used in the design of a device called transistor.

Instead of vacuum tubes, second generation computers used transistors, an exciting invention at the time. John Barden, Walter Brattain and William Schockley of Bell Telephone Laboratories invented the transistor. A transistor is a small, solid state component designed to monitor the flow of electric current.

MORE ABOUT TRANSISTOR

Transistor were smaller, faster, cheaper, required less power, and produced less heat than vacuum tubes. Transistors made second generation of computers faster and more reliable than first generation computers.

Transistors play an important role in electronic circuits. Circuits help make up electronic systems, and electronic system are what make electronic computing possible.

CHARATERISTIC OF TRANSISTOR

Transistor allowed the second generation of computers to communicate over telephone lines. The transistor gave way to the concepts of parallel processor and multi programming. Unlike the first generation computers, second generation computers could run multiple programs, and could address input and output at the same time.

Grace Hopper, the woman that found the first computer bug, finishes developing COBOL (Common Business Oriented Language)

First Computer Bug

The First Computer Bug was actually a real BUG.

Digital Equipment Corporation DEC, founded by Ken Olsen, released the first microcomputer the PDP-8

1964

IBM unveils the system/360, the first family of computers. The IBM 360 is introduced in April and quickly becomes the standard institutional maiframe computer. By the mid-80s the 360 and its descendant will have generated more than 100 billion dollars in revenue for IBM.

IBM 360

IBM 360

Thomas Kurtz and John Kemeny of Dorthmouth College developed BASIC (Beginers All Purpose Symbolic Instruction Code) as a computer language to help teach people how to program.

1965

THE THIRD GENERATION OF COMPUTER

INTEGRATED CIRCUIT (IC)

1. Individual transistors were replaced by integrated circuits

2. Magnetic tape and disks completely replace punch cards as external storage devices.

3. Magnetic Core internal memories began to give way to a new form, metal oxide semi-conductor MOS memory which like integrated circuits, used silicon-backed chips.

INNOVATIONS

Third Generation of computers were builtbetween 1963 – 1974. These computersrelied on a new technology called theintegrated circuits. The integrated circuit issingle wafer that can hold many transistorsand electronic circuits. The invention of thetransistor eliminated the need for unreliablehand-wired circuits and allowed hundredsof circuits to be easily connected. IC werefaster, offered improved memory, andreduced the price of computers.

Today, integrated circuits areeverywhere. From personalcomputers, to microwave ovens, topagers, the integrated circuits hasforever changed technology.Invented by Jack Kilby, theintegrated circuits gave way to anentirely new era: Information Age.

In 1958 Jack Kilby joined TexasInstruments Inc. in Dallas where hewas responsible for integrated circuitdevelopment and applications. In 1959electrical engineer Jack S. Kilbyinvented the monolithic integratedcircuit, which is still widely used inelectronic systems.

JACK KILBY

Intel was founded by Robert Noyce (one of the inventors of integrated circuits.

1968 INTEL

The History of Internet

FOURTH GENERATION: 1979 to Present

MICROPROCESSOR

Intel Corporation designed the first tiny computer on a chip, it was called a microprocessor. From 1974 to the present, computers have relied mainly on the microprocessor which has made computers the fastest and the most powerful they have ever been.

A microprocessor is an integrated circuit built on a tiny chip of silicon. It contains thousands, or even millions of transistors work together to store and manipulate data so that the microprocessor can perform a wide variety of useful functions. The particular function a microprocessor performs are dictated by software.

INTEL CORPORATION

The Intel’s first microprocessor was the 4004. It was introduced in 1971, and contained 2,300 transistors. Pentium 4 processor by contrast, contains 55 million transistors.

Today’s Intel i7 processor contains and estimated more than 730 million transistors.

Microprocessor 4004

In 1975, Micro Instrumentation and Telemetry Systemsor MITS produced the first PC. They named the computer kit Altair 8080 after the Star Trek episode. It had 256 bytes of memory and ran a version of BASIC written by Bill Gates

Altair 8080

Bill Gates and Paul Allen

In 1970s many companies sold PC kits, but the kitswere confusing to use and hard to assemble. However,two entrepreneurs attempted to solve this problem.

In April 1976, Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak foundedthe Apple Computers. This aim was to build a simple yetpowerful powerful computer that an average personcould unpack, plug in and begin using it immediately.Apple’s widely successful PC was the Apple II personalcomputer. The Apple II was the first personal computerto come in plastic case and include color graphics.

Steve Jobs and Wozniak

VisicCalc

Word Processor and Spreadsheet Program

Wordstar

The Apple Macintosh debuts in 1984. It features a simple, graphical interface uses 8 MHz, Motorola 68000 CPU, and has built in 9 inch B/W screen

Apple Macintosh

Amiga introduce the world in multimedia.

Amiga

Microsoft Windows 1.0 ships in November, Windows 1.0 looked ugly, run slowly and had very little support from third party software developers.

Windows 3 was launched. Multiple programs could be run simultaneously, and although this wasn’t true preemptive multitasking it was big forward. Virtual memory was also provided.

Microsoft Windows

In 1994 Apple announced thePowerMac family, the first Macs tobe based on PowerPC chip, anextremely fast processor co-developed with IBM and Motorola.

PowerMac

In 1993, Intel introduced thePentium Processor, amicroprocessor with 3.1 milliontransistors. Technologicaldevelopments continue to changemodern computing.

Pentium Processor

Year CPU Speed Disk Drive RAM Computer Speed

1995 60 MHz 500 mb 8 Mb 28.8 Kbpsmodem

1996 100 Mhz 1.2 Gb 16 Mb 33.6 kbps

1997 200 Mhz 3.2 Gb 32 mb 56 kbps

1998 400 mHz 6.4 GB 64 Mb 56 KBPS

1999 600 Mhz 37 Gb 128 mb Mbps

2000 1.2 Ghz 70 Gb 256 Mb Mbps

2012 3.4 Ghz 2 TB 8 -16 Gb Mbps

Computers as of Today