First Generation (1940-1956)

Vacuum Tubes

Second-generation computers moved from

cryptic binary machine language to symbolic,

The first computers used vacuum tubes for circuitry

or assembly, languages, which allowed programmers

and magnetic drums for memory, and were often

to specify instructions in words. High-level

enormous, taking up entire rooms. They were very

programming languageswere also being developed at

expensive to operate and in addition to using a great

this time, such as early versions

deal of electricity, the first computers generated a lot

of COBOL and FORTRAN. These were also the first

of heat, which was often the cause of malfunctions.

computers that stored their instructions in their

First generation computers relied on machine

memory, which moved from a magnetic drum to

language, the lowest-level programming language

magnetic core technology.

understood by computers, to perform operations, and

The first computers of this generation were developed

they could only solve one problem at a time, and it

for the atomic energy industry.

Input was based on punched cards and paper tape,

Third Generation (1964-1971)

Integrated Circuits

and output was displayed on printouts.

The development of the integrated circuit was the

The UNIVAC and ENIAC computers are examples of

hallmark of the third generation of computers.

first-generation computing devices. The UNIVAC was

Transistors were miniaturized and placed

the first commercial computer delivered to a business

on silicon chips, called semiconductors, which

client, the U.S. Census Bureau in 1951.

drastically increased the speed and efficiency of

could take days or weeks to set-up a new problem.

Second Generation (19561963) Transistors

computers.
Instead of punched cards and printouts, users

Transistors replace vacuum tubes and ushered in the

interacted with third generation computers

second generation of computers. The transistor was

through keyboards andmonitors and interfaced with

invented in 1947 but did not see widespread use in

an operating system, which allowed the device to run

computers until the late 1950s. The transistor was far

many different applications at one time with a central

superior to the vacuum tube, allowing computers to

program that monitored the memory. Computers for

become smaller, faster, cheaper, more energy-

the first time became accessible to a mass audience

efficient and more reliable than their first-generation

because they were smaller and cheaper than their

predecessors.

predecessors.

heat that subjected the computer to damage, it was a

Fourth Generation (1971Present) Microprocessors

vast improvement over the vacuum tube. Second-

The microprocessor brought the fourth generation of

generation computers still relied on punched cards for

computers, as thousands of integrated circuits were

input and printouts for output.

built onto a single silicon chip. What in the first

Though the transistor still generated a great deal of

generation filled an entire room could now fit in the

palm of the hand. The Intel 4004 chip, developed in

development ofGUIs,

1971, located all the components of the computer

the mouse and handheld devices.

input/output controlson a single chip.

Fifth Generation (Present and

Beyond) Artificial Intelligence

In 1981 IBM introduced its first computer for the home

Fifth generation computing devices, based on artificial

user, and in 1984 Apple introduced the Macintosh.

intelligence, are still in development, though there are

Microprocessors also moved out of the realm of

some applications, such as voice recognition, that are

desktop computers and into many areas of life as

being used today. The use of parallel processing and

more and more everyday products began to use

superconductors is helping to make artificial

microprocessors.

intelligence a reality. Quantum computation and

As these small computers became more powerful,

molecular andnanotechnology will radically change

they could be linked together to form networks, which

the face of computers in years to come. The goal of

eventually led to the development of the Internet.

fifth-generation computing is to develop devices that

Fourth generation computers also saw the

respond to natural language input and are capable of

from the central processing unit and memory to

learning and self-organization.