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1.*What Are the Five Generations of Computers?

*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.

First generation computers relied on machine language, the lowest-level

programming language understood by computers, to perform operations, and
they could only solve one problem at a time. It would take operators days or
even weeks to set-up a new problem. 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.
A UNIVAC computer at the Census Bureau.
Image Source: United States Census Bureau
*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.

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.

From Binary to Assembly

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.

An early Philco Transistor (1950's)

Image Source: Vintage Computer Chip Collectibles
*Third Generation: Integrated Circuits (1964-1971)

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.

Did You Know... ? An integrated circuit (IC) is a small electronic device made
out of a semiconductor material. The first integrated circuit was developed in
the 1950s by Jack Kilby of Texas Instruments and Robert Noyce of Fairchild
Semiconductor.
*Fourth Generation: Microprocessors (1971-Present)

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.

Intel's first microprocessor, the 4004, was conceived by Ted Hoff and Stanley
Mazor.
Image Source: Intel Timeline (PDF)
*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.

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.
2.Types of Computer

Supercomputer[edit]

The Columbia Supercomputer - once one of the fastest.

Supercomputers are the fastest and the most expensive computers. These huge
computers are used to solve very complex science and engineering problems.
Supercomputers get their processing power by taking advantage of parallel
processing; they use lots of CPUs at the same time on one problem. A typical
supercomputer can do up to ten trillion individual calculations every second.
Example Supercomputers:

 K Computer

 Columbia
Mainframe[edit]

A pair of IBM mainframes

Mainframe (coloquially, "big iron") computers are similar to supercomputers in

many aspects, the main difference between them is the fact that a
supercomputer use all its raw power to focus on very few tasks, while a
mainframe purpose is to perform thousands or millions of operations
concurrently. Due to its nature, mainframes are often employed by large
organizations for bulk data processing, such as census, industry and consumer
statistics, enterprise resource planning and transaction processing.

Server Computer[edit]
Inside of a Rack unit Server

A server is a central computer that contains collections of data and programs.

Also called a network server, this system allows all connected users to share and
store electronic data and applications. Two important types of servers are file
servers and application servers.

Servers are a step under supercomputers, because they don't focus on trying to
solve one very complex problem, but try to solve many many similar smaller
ones. An example of servers would be the computers that Wikipedia stores its
encyclopedia on. Those computers have to go and find the page you're looking
for and send it to you. In itself it's not a big task, but it becomes a job for a server
when the computers have to go and find lots of pages for a lot of people and
send them to the right place. Some servers, like the ones Google uses for
something like Google Documents, have applications on them instead of just
files, like Wikipedia.
Workstation Computer[edit]

Sun SPARCstation

Workstations are high-end, expensive computers that are made for more
complex procedures and are intended for one user at a time. Some of the
complex procedures consist of science, math and engineering calculations and
are useful for computer design and manufacturing. Workstations are sometimes
improperly named for marketing reasons. Real workstations are not usually sold
in retail, but this is starting to change; Apple's Mac Pro would be considered a
workstation.

The movie Toy Story was made on a set of Sun (Sparc) workstations [

Personal Computer or PC[edit]

A personal computer (PC)

PC is an abbreviation for a Personal Computer, it is also known as a

Microcomputer. Its physical characteristics and low cost are appealing and
useful for its users. The capabilities of a personal computer have changed
greatly since the introduction of electronic computers. By the early 1970s,
people in academic or research institutions had the opportunity for single-
person use of a computer system in interactive mode for extended durations,
although these systems would still have been too expensive to be owned by a
single individual. The introduction of the microprocessor, a single chip with all the
circuitry that formerly occupied large cabinets, led to the proliferation of
personal computers after about 1975. Early personal computers, generally
called microcomputers, sold often in kit form and in limited volumes and were of
interest mostly to hobbyists and technicians. By the late 1970s, mass-market pre-
assembled computers allowed a wider range of people to use computers,
focusing more on software applications and less on development of the
processor hardware. Throughout the 1970s and 1980s, home computers were
developed for household use, offering some personal productivity,
programming and games, while somewhat larger and more expensive systems
(although still low-cost compared with minicomputers and mainframes) were
aimed for office and small business use.

Today a personal computer is an all-around device that can be used as a

productivity tool, a media server and a gaming machine. The modular
construction of the personal computer allows components to be easily
swapped out when broken or upgrading.

Microcontroller[edit]
An Arduino, a common programmable microcontroller.

Microcontrollers are mini computers that enable the user to store data and
execute simple commands and tasks. These single circuit devices have minimal
memory and program length but are normally designed to be very good at
performing a niche task. Many such systems are known as embedded systems.
The computer in your car, for example is an embedded system. A common
microcontroller that one might come across is called Arduino.

Smartphone[edit
HTC One Max

Do you own a smartphone? Your smart phone is a computer! Most smartphones

run iOS or Android. Android is an operating system that is based on Linux.
Smartphones are becoming exponentially faster and also have an exponentially
increasing data capacity.
3.The Five Main Parts of a Computer

*Central Processing Unit (CPU)

The CPU is the "brains" of the computer. The central processing unit provides the
calculations and manipulation of data sent from the user. Each time the user
clicks a key, executes an application or browses the Web, the CPU reads the
code involved and returns the response to the user. The CPU works closely with
memory, which is the component that sends stored data to the unit.

*Random Access Memory (RAM)

RAM is variable in a computer. Older computers had only a few dozen

megabytes of RAM installed. When personal computers became popular in the
1990s, computers had 32 megabytes of memory. Motherboards and software
now require at least one gigabyte to function. RAM contains the information
during the time the computer is on. After the machine is turned off, the
information in RAM is lost.

*Hard Drive
Unlike RAM, the hard drive stores data even after the machine is turned off. A
hard drive is the storage unit for the machine. Saved documents and
applications are stored on the hard drive using magnetism. The hard drive is
made up of small platters with a moving head. The platters spin as the head
moves back and forth to retrieve and store data.

*Video Card

The video card provides the image seen on the monitor. The video card is
attached to a monitor using a VGA cable. Some video cards have two monitor
connections. This allows the user to attach two monitors to the computer, so the
desktop can be spread across both monitors for better usability.

*Motherboard
Each component is attached to the motherboard. The motherboard receives
power from the computer's power supply. The motherboard allows all the
components to communicate, including the CPU. The motherboard also
contains controllers, which are circuits that help the operating system work with
hardware such as the hard drive.