How many generations of computers do you have and what are their distinguishing features?

Answer 1

four generations are over and the fifth is on the way ......

• First Generation (1940-1956) Vacuum Tubes

• Second Generation (1956-1963) Transistors

• Third Generation (1964-1971) Integrated Circuits

• Fourth Generation (1971-Present) Microprocessors

• Fifth Generation (Present and Beyond) Artificial Intelligence

Answer 2

1. Desktop, the kind that, well, sit on a desk and do whatever you need it to do

2. Notebook/Laptop, the portable computer that you can take almost anywhere

3. Server, the kind that are as big as a fridge, and can power up to 100+ PCs

4. Mini, like the laptop, but smaller

5. Palmtop, the smallest of all, fits in your hand and serves as a contact manager, text, and for some, a phone.

Not generations. Generations are divided over time by technology:

1. Vacuum tube - 1940s & 1950s
2. Discrete transistor - 1958 to 1964
3. IC (monolithic or hybrid) - 1964 to middle 1970s
4. LSI - late 1960s to late 1970s
5. VLSI - 1970s to middle 1980s
6. Microprocessor - 1971 to present
7. Multithreaded multiprocessing multicore superscalar microprocessors - late 1990s to present

Sorry if that was too many, but the number depends on how one defines the borders and that isn't completely agreed on.

Answer 3

Computers have been classified into Five generations in a chronological order based on their development. The first generation computers were made from Vacuum tubes and their time time period was from 1940 to 1956. After that was the generation of transistors from 1956 to 1963. From 1964 to 1971, the computers used Integrated circuits. The age of Microprocessors started from 1971 and is still continued. The future is going to be that of Artificial Intelligence which has already started and there are going to be many more developments.

Answer 4

First Generation - 1940-1956: Vacuum Tubes

The first computers used vacuum tubes for circuitry and magnetic drums for memory, and were often enormous, taking up entire rooms. They were very expensive to operate and in addition to using a great deal of electricity, generated a lot of heat, which was often the cause of malfunctions. First generation computers relied on machine language to perform operations, and they could only solve one problem at a time. Input was based on punched cards and paper tape, and output was displayed on printouts.

The UNIVAC and ENIAC computers are examples of first-generation computing devices. The UNIVAC was the first commercial computer delivered to a business client, the U.S. Census Bureau in 1951.

Second Generation - 1956-1963: Transistors

Transistors replaced vacuum tubes and ushered in the second generation of computers. The transistor was invented in 1947 but did not see widespread use in computers until the late 50s. The transistor was far superior to the vacuum tube, allowing computers to become smaller, faster, cheaper, more energy-efficient and more reliable than their first-generation predecessors. Though the transistor still generated a great deal of heat that subjected the computer to damage, it was a vast improvement over the vacuum tube. Second-generation computers still relied on punched cards for input and printouts for output.

Second-generation computers moved from cryptic binary machine language to symbolic, or assembly, languages, which allowed programmers to specify instructions in words. High-level programming languages were also being developed at this time, such as early versions of COBOL and FORTRAN. These were also the first computers that stored their instructions in their memory, which moved from a magnetic drum to magnetic core technology.

The first computers of this generation were developed for the atomic energy industry.

Third Generation - 1964-1971: Integrated Circuits

The 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.

Instead of punched cards and printouts, users interacted with third generation computers through keyboards and monitors and interfaced with an operating system, which allowed the device to run many different applications at one time with a central program that monitored the memory. Computers for the first time became accessible to a mass audience because they were smaller and cheaper than their predecessors.

Fourth Generation - 1971-Present: Microprocessors

The 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.

In 1981 IBM introduced its first computer for the home user, and in 1984 Apple introduced the Macintosh. Microprocessors also moved out of the realm of desktop computers and into many areas of life as more and more everyday products began to use microprocessors.

As these small computers became more powerful, they could be linked together to form networks, which eventually led to the development of the internet. Fourth generation computers also saw the development of GUIs, the mouse and handheld devices.

Fifth Generation - Present and Beyond: Artificial Intelligence

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. Quantum computation and molecular and Nanotechnology will radically change the face of computers in years to come. The goal of fifth-generation computing is to develop devices that respond to natural language input and are capable of learning and self-organization.

Answer 5

This varies somewhat depending on the preferences and agenda of the computer historian doing the classification. But one common way is based on the type of electronics technology used:

1. vacuum tubes
2. discrete transistors
3. integrated circuits
4. microprocessor integrated circuits
5. etc.

Answer 6

technology changed in major ways between generations