Name: Saadia Mazhar [131]

Class: MCOM [Section D]

Subject: Information Systems

Assignment: Generations Of Computer and

Sizes Of Computer

Date: 22/10/2010

Presented To: Sir Khurram Shahid

Computer:

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“Computer is an electronic device, that inputs data, processes it and
transfers it in the form of an output.”

Generations of computer:

History of computer started from the device called abacus, invented

by the Japanese, which consisted of beeds on rods, for numerical
calculations. Time went on, and newer devices came into existence.
Charles Babbage, is known as the father of digital computers.
Generations are the segments of the time line in which after every
few years, a new technology was introduced. Following are the
generations of computer:

1. first generation computers (1942-1955)

2. second generation computers (1955-1964)
3. third generation computers (1964-1975)
4. fourth generation computers (1964-1975)
5. fifth generation computers (1975-onwards)

1. First Generation Computers:

First generation computers were used from 1945-1955. Input and

output devices were the punched cards, storage device was
punched paper tape and processing device were a lot of vacuum
tubes. These computers were huge in size and were very expensive.
Although the calculations were easy to perform but they were slow
and had many drawbacks. These computers used “machine
language”

Input And Output Devices – Punched Cards (*1):

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 It is a piece of stiff paper that
contains digital information represented by the
presence or absence of holes in predefined
positions. Now almost an obsolete recording
medium, punched cards were widely used
throughout the 19th century for controlling textile
looms and in the late 19th and early 20th century
for operating fairground organs and related
instruments. They were used through the 20th
century in unit record machines for input,
processing, and data storage. Early digital
computers used punched cards, often prepared
using keypunch machines, as the primary
medium for input of both computer
programs and data. Some voting machines use
punched cards.
Output was to 80 column punched cards, printer,
and optionally to punched paper tape. Punched
cards are an old input (sometimes output)
medium for communicating with mainframes.

Processing – Vacuum Tubes:

In electronics, a vacuum tube, electron tube (in

North America), or thermionic valve (elsewhere,
especially in Britain) is a device used
to amplify,switch, otherwise modify, or create an
electrical signal by controlling the movement
of electrons in a low-pressure space. Some
special function vacuum tubes are filled with low-
pressure gas: these are so-called soft tubes as
distinct from the hard vacuum type which have
the internal gas pressure reduced as far as
possible. Almost all tubes depend on
the thermionic emission of electrons.

Storage – Punched Paper Tape:

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 Punched tape or paper tape is a largely
obsolete form of data storage, consisting of a
long strip of paper in which holes are punched
to store data. It was widely used during much
of the twentieth century for tele-
printer communication, and later as a storage
medium for minicomputers and CNC machine
tools.

Second Generation Computers:

Second generation computers were used in between 1955 to 1964.

Input device was punched cards, processing device were transistors,
storage device was magnetic core and the output device was
punched paper tape. These computers used the “assembly
language”.

Input Device – Punched Cards:

In second generation computers punched

cards were still used as input devices. The
presence or absence of data was
represented by holes. (detailed
explanation is already given above *1)

Processing Device – Transistors:

A transistor is a semiconductor device used to amplify and switch electronic signals.

It is made of a solid piece of semiconductor material, with at least three terminals for
connection to an external circuit.

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 A voltage or current applied to one pair of the
transistor's terminals changes the current
flowing through another pair of terminals.
Because the controlled (output) power can be
much more than the controlling (input) power,
the transistor provides amplification of a signal.
Today, some transistors are packaged
individually, but many more are found
embedded in integrated circuits.

The transistor is the fundamental building block

of modern electronic devices, and is ubiquitous
in modern electronic systems. Following its
release in the early 1950s the transistor
revolutionised the field of electronics, and
paved the way for smaller and
cheaper radios, calculators, and computers,
amongst other things.

Storage – Magnetic Core:

A magnetic core is a piece of magnetic

material with a high permeability used to confine
and guide magnetic fields in electrical
and electromechanical devices such
as electromagnets,transformers, electric motors,
and inductors. It is made of ferromagnetic metal
such as iron, or ferrimagnetic compounds such
as ferrites. The high permeability, relative to the
surrounding air, causes the magnetic field
lines to be concentrated in the core material. The
magnetic field is often created by a coil of wire
around the core that carries a current. The
presence of the core can increase the magnetic
field of a coil by a factor of several thousand over
what it would be without the core.

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 Output Device – Punched Paper
Tape:

Punched paper tape was used in 20th century to

show the output of data where data was
represented by holes in a long strip (detailed
explanation is given above in 1st generation
computers).

Third Generation Computers:

These computers were used in between 1964-1975. input device was

the keyboard, processing device was a collection of integrated
circuits, storage device was improved magnetic disc. High level
language was used to operate these computers.

Input Device – Keyboard:

In computing, a keyboard is typewriter keyboard,

which uses an arrangement of buttons or keys, to
act as mechanical levers or electronic switches.
After punch cards and paper tape, interaction via
teletype-style keyboards became the main input
device for computers. Input was given through
certain commands typed through an
alphanumeric keyboard which consisted of
numbers, alphabets and some special keys.

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Processing Device – IC:

In electronics, an integrated circuit (also known

as IC, chip, or microchip) is a
miniaturized electronic circuit (consisting mainly of
semiconductor devices, as well as passive
components) that has been manufactured in the
surface of a thin substrate of semiconductor material.
Integrated circuits are used in almost all electronic
equipment in use today and have revolutionized the
world of electronics.Computers, cellular phones, and
other digital appliances are now inextricable parts of
the structure of modern societies, made possible by
the low cost of production of integrated circuits.

A hybrid integrated circuit is a miniaturized electronic

circuit constructed of individual semiconductor
devices, as well as passive components, bonded to
a substrate or circuit board. A monolithic integrated
circuit is made of devices manufactured by diffusion
of trace elements into a single piece of
semiconductor substrate, a chip.

Storage Device – Improved Magnetic Disc:

Output Device – Monitor:

In third generation, IBM launched this type of disc,
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Fourth Generation Computers:

These computers came to the market in 1975 and are used up till
now with some modifications after every few years. These use
keyboard as an input device, micro processors as a processing
device, hard disk drive as a storage device (ranging from 1MB-1TB)
and give output through a monitor. These computers use high level
language.

Input Device – Keyboard:

The usage of keyboards increased from the last
decade of the 20th century and now various types of
keyboards are available in the market, having
additional keys like special keys, multimedia keys,
touch pads, multi functional keys, combination keys
etc.

Processing Device –Micro Processor:

In 1975 , a large number of transistors were compiled

into a very small sized chip which consisted of large
scale integrated circuits. Later due to innovation in
Storage Device
technology very large –scale
Hard Disk Drive:
integrated circuits were
introduced in the market which are used uptil now.

In fourth generation computers, hard disk drives were

introduced, which were reliable as they were a\safe,
and huge amount of data could be stored on them.
Another plus point was that they could be easily
carried any where and could be attached with any
computer. Now a days storage space has reached 8
1TB.
Output Device – Monitor:

In forth generation computers, RGB monitors were introduced

to the market, that gave coloured display and phosphor
molecules were thrown on the monitor screen via a cathode ray
tube. Hence today’s monitors are also called CRT monitors.
Now a days due to the advancement in technology, touch
screen monitors, flat panel monitors, LCD monitors and so on,
are available in the market.