This document summarizes the five generations of computers from the 1940s to present. The first generation used vacuum tubes and magnetic drums. The second generation used transistors. The third generation used integrated circuits. The fourth generation used microprocessors. The fifth generation, still in development, is based on artificial intelligence using techniques like natural language processing and machine learning. Each generation brought improvements in size, cost, speed, and capabilities.

1. Annai jkk sampoorani ammal college of
education
TN PALAYAM, ERODE
CRITICAL UNDERSTANDING OF ICT
ACTIVITY:
NAME JEESHMA S
YEAR/MAJOR B. Ed. II Computer Science
Regn no 1070321BD011

2. generation of computers
Presentation on

3. Generations of Computers

4. Generations of
Computer
 The computer has evolved from a large-sized simple calculating machine to a
smaller but much more powerful machine.
 The evolution of computer to the current state is defined in terms of the
generations of computer.
 Each generation of computer is designed based on a new technological
development, resulting in better, cheaper and smaller computers that are more
powerful, faster and efficient than their predecessors.
 Currently, there are five generations of computer. In the following subsections,
we will discuss the generations of computer in terms of the technology used by
them (hardware and software), computing characteristics (speed, i.e., number
of instructions executed per second), physical appearance, and their
applications.

5. The First Generation
(1940-1956)
 The first computers used vacuum tubes
(a sealed glass tube containing a near-
vacuum which allows the free passage of
electric current) for circuitry and
magnetic drums for memory.
 They were often enormous and taking up
entire
room.
 First generation computers relied on machine language.
 They were very expensive to operate and in addition to using a great
deal of electricity, generated a lot of heat, which was often the cause of
malfunctions(defect or breakdown).
 The UNIVAC and ENIAC computers are examples of first generation
computing devices.

6. First Generation
Computers
Demerits :
 Too bulky i.e large in size
 Vacuum tubes burn frequently
 They were producing heat
 Maintenance problems
Merits :
 It was only electronic device
 First device to hold memory

7. The Second Generation
(1956-1963)
• Transistors replaced vacuum tubes and ushered in the
second generation of computers.
• Second-generation computers moved from
cryptic binary machine language to symbolic.
• 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.

8. Second Generation Computers
Merits :
 Size reduced considerably
 The very fast
 Very much reliable
Demerits :
 They over heated quickly
 Maintenance problems

9. The Third Generation
(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.
 Instead of punched cards and printouts, users interacted with
third generation computers through keyboards
and monitors and interfaced with an operating system.
 Allowed the device to run many different applications at one
time.

10. Third Generation Computers
Advantages :
 ICs are very small in size
 Improved performance
 Production cost cheap
Disadvantages :
 ICs are sophisticated

11. The Fourth Generation
(1972- 2000)
 The microprocessor brought the fourth generation of computers, as
thousands of integrated circuits were built onto a single silicon chip.
 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.
 Fourth generation computers also saw the development of GUIs,
the mouse and handheld devices.
 The fourth-generation computers used Very Large Scale
Integrated(VLSI) circuits.

12. Fourth Generation Computers
The fourth Generation Computers used
 Semi-conductor devices as primary
memory.
 Magnetic disks are as secondary storage.
 Problem-oriented fourth generation
language (4GL) are used.
 In fourth generation computer (VLSI)
Multi-processing and multiprogramming
operating system are used.
 VLSI circuits having 5000 transistors and
other circuit elements with their
associated circuit on a single chip made it
possible to have microcomputer of fouth
generation computer.

13. The Fifth Generation
(2000 to Present & Beyond)
 Fifth generation computing devices, based on artificial
intelligence.
 Are still in development, though there are some applications,
such as voice recognition.
 The use of parallel processing and superconductors is helping
to make artificial intelligence a reality.
 The goal of fifth-generation computing is to develop devices
that respond to natural language input and are capable of
learning and self-organization.
 The fifth-generation computer use Ultra Large Scale
Integrated (ULSI)
chips that contain millions of components on a single chip.
They are in the development stage which is based on the
artificial intelligence.
 These computers can also response to natural language input.
Biochips will be used as memory devices and KIPS
(Knowledge-based Information Processing System)

14. The Fifth Generation
 It is primarily based totally on Artificial intelligence (AI) software.
Artificial intelligence describes the medium and manner of creating
computer systems like people, the manner human thinks, the manner
people act, etc. and that is a rising department and has all of the
scopes for studies work too. For example, PARAM 10000, IBM
notebooks, etc.

15. Conclusion
The development and upgradation of Computers is an on-
going and never ending process on this day of technological
development.
The new technology is being used in all departments of the
Government for the betterment of the nation, it has become a part
and parcel of the life of a human being and can a person hardly
live without a fifth generation product on this day
Technology is also being used to safe guard the flora and
fauna, life of human viz, technological help in the field of
medicines and surgeries being done with the use of machines.