Types of Computers Depending on The Technology Used:
Depending on the technology used there are five generations of computers known as till today. Generation in computer talk is a step in technology. It provides a framework for the growth of the computer industry. originality, the term `Generation` was used to distinguish between varying hardware technology. But now days, it has been extended to include both the hardware and the software, which together make up an entire computer system. Each generation has been discussed below in detail along with their advantage and disadvantages. Although there is a certain amount of overlapping between the generations, the approximate gap shown against each are normally accepted.
First generation Computers:(1942-55):
| Technology used: |
Vacuum Tubes |
| Input: |
Punched Cards |
| Output: |
Punched Cards |
| Language: |
machine Language |
| Storage: |
Punched paper Tape |
Vacuum tube was a fragile glass device that could control and amplify electronic signals.
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FIRST GENERATION COMPUTERS |
| Advantages |
Disadvantages |
- Vacuum tubes were the only electronic components available during those days.
- Vacuum tubes technology made possible the advent of
electronics digital computers.
- The computer were the fastest calculating device of their time.
- They could perform computation in milliseconds.
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- Too bulky in size
- Non-portable
- Unreliable
- Thousands of vacuum
tubes used, emitted large amount of heat and burnet out frequently.
- Hardware failure
- Air conditioning required
- Constant maintenance required
- Commercial production was difficult and costly
- Limited commercial use
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Second Generation Computers:
| Technology used: |
Transistors |
| Input: |
Punched Cards |
| Output: |
Paper |
| Language: |
Assembly Language |
| storage: |
Magnetic Cores |
The transistor, a smaller and more reliable inheritor to the vacuum tubes, was invented in 1947.The second generation emerged with transistor being the brain of the computer.
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Second Generation Computers |
|
Advantages |
Disadvantages |
- Smaller in size as compare to the 1st generation
- Batter portability
- More reliable
- Less then generated
- Less hardware failure
- They could perform computation in microseconds
- Wider commercial use as compare to 1st generation
|
- Air-conditioning required
- Frequent maintenance required
- Commercial productions was difficult &costly
|
Third Generation:(1964-75):
| Technology used: |
Integrated circuits |
| Input: |
Keyboard |
| Output: |
Monitor |
| Language: |
High Level Language |
| Storage: |
Improved Disk Storage |
|
Third Generation Computers |
| Advantages: |
Disadvantages: |
- Smaller in size as compare to previous generations
- Easley portable
- More reliable then 2nd generation
- Lower heat generated then 2nd generation
- These computers were able to reduce computation time from microseconds( 10-9)
- Personal computer was introduced
- Maintenance cost is low because hardware failures are rare
- Totally general purpose
- Labor and capital costs involved at assembly stages reduced drastically
- Commercial production was easier and cheaper
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- Air conditioning require in many cases
- Highly sophisticated technique required for the manufacturing of integrated circuits.
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Advances in electronics technology continued and the advent of "microelectronics" technology made it possible to integrate large number of circuits into very small surface of silicon known as chips. This new technology was called integrated circuits (ICs). The third generation was based on the ICs technology.
A Chip, or microchip, is a tiny piece of silicon that contains millions of electronics circuits `components.
Fourth Generation:(1975-Onward):
| Technology used: |
Very large scale Integrated circuits (VLSICs) |
| Input: |
Keyboard |
| output: |
Monitor |
| Language: |
High Level Language, Non procedural Language |
| storage: |
Hard disk |
| |
|
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Fourth Generation |
|
Advantages |
Disadvantages |
- Smallest in size because of high component density
- Easley portable
- Very reliable
- Heat generation is negligible
- No air conditioning required in most cases
- Much faster in computation then previous, but measuring is still ( )
- Hardware failure is negligible and hence maintenance is not required
- Minimum labor and cost involved at assembly stages
- Cheapest among all generations
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- Highly sophisticated technology required for the manufacturing of VLSI chips.
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Later with the advancement in technology for manufacturing ICs, it became possible to integrate up to millions plus components on a single chip known as Very Large Scale Integration (VLSI).
Fifth Generation: (Yet to come):
Scientists are now at work on the fifth generation computers, a promise but not reality. They aim to bring us machine with genuine IQ. (Artificial Intelligence), the ability to reason logically, and with real knowledge of the world . thus, unlike the last fourth generations which naturally followed its predecessor, the fifth generation will be totally different, totally novel (thriller, shocker, fiction), totally new.
Features:
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In functions, it will not be algorithmic (step by step, with one step at a time), they will perform functions parallel
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In nature, it will not do just data processing but knowledge processing
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In application it will behave like an expert
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In programming, it will interact with humans in ordinary language (unlike COBOL, PASCAL, and BASIC)
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In architecture it will have KIPS (Knowledge Information processing system) rather than the present DIPS/LIPS (Data/Logic Information Processing System).
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