Generations of

Computers
SOF IA RAM IRE Z 1 1Y

Introduction
Computers are machines designed to preform
calculations that have previously been programmed. Over
the years computers have been changing and developing
to make our lives easier in a sense. The more that the
years go by computers can do more and more stuff. In the
future who knows what they will be able to do just with
the click of a button or just by saying a word.

Pre 1930s
Charles Babbage (17911871) invented computers
but could not build one,
just the engine. He spent
nine years building the
engine but he still wished
to create an analytical
engine. It was about 150
years later that his engine
was rebuilt.

First Generation (1942-1955)

UNIVAC done by Mauchly
and Echert, based on
vacuum tubes
Could calculate data in
millisecond
Very large in size
Not very reliable
They were rapidly heated

Second Generation (1955-1964)

Replaced vacuum tubes with
transitors
Used less energy and not heated
Accuracy was improved
Commercial production was difficult
Constant maintenance was required

Third Generation (1964-1975)

Used integrated circuits
Became smaller, faster and
more reliable
Examples are IBM 370 and
UNIVAC 1108
Used mouse and keyboard
for input
Air conditioning was required

Fourth Generation (1975-Present)

Invention of microprocessor
Examples are Apple Macintosh
and IBM-PC
Fast processing power with less
power consumption
Cheapest of all generations
Less need of repair

Fifth Generation (present and

beyond)
Based in artificial intelligence
Working to increase the
processing power of computers
They are trying to make the
computers have a real IQ
It will eventually help other
aspects of daily life

Most significant for me

I think the most important advancement in computer
history is the invention of the microprocessors because it
was a big jump form one generation to the next and
changed the size and storage of the computers. This
made them more available.
In the future I think that having robots at home and
working with them will be the most ordinary thing. We will
have even more artifacts that will help make our daily life
easier, and it could be a good and a bad thing.

Bibliography
http://www.byte-notes.com/five-generations-computers
http://linguapress.com/advanced/babbage.htm
http://www.computerhistory.org/babbage/
http://www.webopedia.com/TERM/C/computer.html
http://www.computerhistory.org/revolution/birth-of-thecomputer/4/78

During World War 2, the US army

needed a way to calculate wartime
ballistics tables. This was to hard for a
human or humans to achieve in enough
time so they had to create a machine
that could help them. It was proposed
by John Mauchly.

ENIAC
Electronic Numerical
Integrator And Computer

It was built between 1943 and 1945.

It worked with 18,000 vacuum tubes
working simultaneously. For a decade it
might have done more calculations that
humans at that time. After WW2 ended
the machine was declassified.