History of Computers
The world
first electromechanical binary programmable computer created by German Konrad Zuse. This computer was invented in his parent’s living room and this computer was invent between 1936 and 1938. The first computer systems used vacuum
tubes for circuitry and magnetic drums for memory, and were often enormous,
taking up entire room. The UNIVAC and ENIAC computers are examples of first
generation computing devices.
There are information about three generation of computers:
First generation:
The first
generation computers used vacuum tubes for circuitry and magnetic drums for memory, and were often enormous,
taking up entire rooms. The vacuum tube was developed by Lee De Forest. A
vacuum tube is a device generally used to amplify a signal by controlling the
movement of electrons in an evacuated space.
Features:
- Use of vacuum tubes to make circuits
- Use of magnetic drums
- Use of machine language and symbols in instructions
- Very small amount of storage space
- Use of punch cards as I/O devices
- Huge in size and poor in mobility
- Very slow and less reliable output
- Use of high electricity
- Generates too much heats
- Complex and expensive to maintain
Second Generation:
A
transistor computer, now often called a second generation
computer, is a computer which uses discrete transistors
instead of vacuum tubes. A second generation of computers,
through the late 1950s and 1960s featured circuit boards filled with individual
transistors and magnetic core memory.
Features:
- Use of transistors.
- Magnetic memory and magnetic
storage disks.
- High speed I/O devices.
- Invention and use of high level
languages such as Fortran and Cobol.
- Reduced size.
- Solution to heat generation.
- Communication by using telephone
line.
Third Generation:
The period
of third generation was from 1965-1971. The computers of third
generation used Integrated Circuits (ICs) in place of transistors. A
single IC has many transistors, resistors, and capacitors along with the
associated circuitry. ... This development made computers smaller
in size, reliable, and efficient.
Features:
- Integrated circuits instead of
individual transistors.
- Smaller, cheaper, more efficient
and faster than second generation computers.
- High-level programming
languages.
- Magnetic storage.
