Generatio

ns

First

Second

Third

Fourth

Fifth

Time

1940-56

1956-63

1964-71

1971present

Present and
Future

Circuitry

Vacuum
Tubes

Transistors

Integrated
Circuits

Microprocess
or

Artificial
Intelligence/
VR

Memory

Magnetic
Drum

Magnetic
Core

Magnetic
Core

Magnetic
Core

Nanotech
and
Quantum
Computing

Size

Big as room

Moderate
Sized

Smaller than
Iind

Compact

Small

Cost

Expensive

Cheaper
than Ist

Affordable

Affordable

Affordable

Language

MLL

Assembly
Language

ALL

ALL

Natural
Language

Task-ability

Singletasking

Single
Tasking

Multiprogrammab
le

Multi-tasking

Parallel
Processing

Input

Punch Cards

Punch Cards

Mouse,
Keyboard

Mouse and
handheld
devices

Voice/Gestur
es

Output

Printout

Printout

Operating
System

Operating
System and
other GUI

Voice/Action
s

Examples

UNIVAC,
ENIAC

COBOL,
FORTRAN

Pascal PL/1,
BASIC

IBM 1981
and Apple
Macintosh

Oculus Rift