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The 1º Generation
The first generation computers were run by several types of memories and the gradual advancement in the technology applied for development of memories deserves mention. Mercury filled tubes called "Delay Lines" were used for high speed internal memory in computers like EDSAC, BINAC, SEAC, DEUCE and pilot model of ACE. In Manchester baby it was the electronic memory where a two-dimensional rectangular array of binary digits was stored on the face of a cathode ray tube. -
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The 2º Generation of Computer
The second generation computers used transistors as the basic components. The first transistor was developed at bell laboratories on 1947 by William Shockley, John Bardeen and Walter Houser Brattain. The size of transistor is small compared to the size of vacuum tubes. Transistors are made from silicon. Transistors that are made from silicon are less sensitive to temperature, so they cannot easily burn up. -
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The 3º Generation of Computer
The period of third generation was from 1964 to 1971. Integrated circuits (IC's) are used in third generation computers. The integrated circuit was invented by Jack Kilby and Robert Noyce.
The electronic circuit formed by constructing electronic components like transistor, resistor and capacitor on a small piece of semiconducting material is called integrated circuit. Integrated circuit is also called as chip or microchip. Large number of transistors is placed on a single chip. -
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The 4º Generation of Computer
The computers of fourth generation used Very Large Scale Integrated (VLSI) circuits. VLSI circuits having about 5000 transistors and other circuit elements and their associated circuits on a single chip made it possible to have microcomputers of fourth generation. Fourth generation computers became more powerful, compact, reliable, and affordable. As a result, it gave rise to personal computer (PC) revolution. -
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The 5º Generation of Computer
This generation brought about the introduction of machines with hundreds of processors that could all be working on different parts of a single program. The scale of integration in semiconductors continued at a great pace and by 1990 it was possible to build chips with a million components - and semiconductor memories became standard on all computers. Computer networks and single-user workstations also became popular. -
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The 6º Generation of Computers
This generation brought about gains in parallel computing in both the hardware and in improved understanding of how to develop algorithms to exploit parallel architectures.
Workstation technology continued to improve.
Wide area networks, network bandwidth and speed of operation and networking capabilities have kept developing tremendously.