Key for Computer Generations :
Key for Computer Generations Time Frame Circuit Components Elements per Component Internal Storage Memory Capacity Data Input Popular Computers and Companies at that time
First Generations 1951- 1958:
First Generations 1951- 1958 Vacuum Tubes Magnetic Drum 4,000 bits Hard Wire Programs in computers IBM 650, Univac I ENIAC
Second Generation 1959-1964:
Second Generation 1959-1964 Transistors Magnetic Cores 32,000 bits Punch Cards CDC, GE, IBM
Third Generation 1965-1974:
Third Generation 1965-1974 Silicon Chips (Integrated circuits)= IC Cores, IC’s 128,000 bits Keyboard Entry IBM, NCR, Honeywell
Fourth Generation 1975-1989:
Fourth Generation 1975-1989 Silicon Chips (Large scale integrated circuits)=LSI IC’s, LSI’s 100 million bits Read programs off disks Apple, Xerox, Texas Instrument, Hewlett-Packard
Fifth Generation 1990-present:
Fifth Generation 1990-present Silicon Chips ( Very Large Integrated Circuits) VLSI LSI’s, VLSI’s Unlimited CdRom, Optical Disk NEC, Packard Bell, Compaq, Other Clones
Information is Power:
Information is Power