The 3rd Generation Computers were generally much smaller in size than the 2nd and 1st generation

computers. This is because these newer computers made us of integrated circuits and semiconductors (a type of material that had the properties of an insulator and a conductor). 3rd generation computers also contained operating systems, which acted as overseers to the performance of a computer and which allowed computers to run different programs at once. Another function of operating systems is to make sure everything is flowing smoothly inside the computer. The 3rd generation computers made the transition from transistors to integrated circuits and from punch cards to electronic computer systems.

1964-1965: IBM 360 The IBM 360 was introduced by IBM (duh!) in April of 1964, and was finally delivered in 1965. It was not actually a single computer, but was rather a family of six computers and their peripherals. These computers were all mutually compatible and all worked together. The first models of the IBM 360 used transistors, but later these computers made a transition from transistors to integrated circuits. 1965: PDP-8 The PDP-8 was a successor to the PDP-1. Because it was the first computer to successfully make use of integrated circuits, it was much smaller and cheaper compared to other computers available at the same time. When it first entered the minicomputer market, it sold for about $20,000. Five years later, this price was reduced to only $3,000. The PDP-8 was relativelysimple in design-physically, logically, and electronically. It only had 4,096 words of memory, and its word length was only 12 bits. This machine became the first commercially successful minicomputer because of its reasonable cost, speed, and small size. Minicomputers are medium-sized computers that were much cheaper than the larger and bulkier mainframe computers. 1966: HP-2115 With the invention of the HP-2115, the company Hewlett Packard enters the computer business.

1969: UNIX At the AT & T Bell Laboratories, programmers Kenneth Thompson and Dennis Ritchie developed a new type of operating system known as UNIX. UNIX is a multi-user operating system able to perform multiple tasks. In addition, UNIX is written in the C language, which allows it to be less machine-specific than other available operating systems. C was specifically designed for UNIX. Because UNIX used C, it was able to be used in any computer system. This was a big achievement at the time!

1970s: GUI

GUI (graphical user interface, pronounced gooey) was designed by the Xerox Corporation. GUI allowed users to be able to "point and click." In other words, the computer screen was designed to resemble a desktop. It had click-able folders, calculators, etc. which were represented by images known as icons. Users could click on these icons to move and manipulate the folders and other tools. GUI made using computers much easier and is currently found in modern-day computers.

Although transistors were great deal of improvement over the vacuum tubes, they generated heat and damaged the sensitive areas of the computer. The Integrated Circuit(IC) was invented in 1958 by Jack Kilby. It combined electronic components onto a small silicon disc, made from quartz. More advancement made possible the fittings of even more components on a small chip or a semi conductor. Also in third generation computers, the operating systems allowed the machines to run many different applications. These applications were monitored and coordinated by the computer's memory. The IBM 360/91 Installation of the IBM 360/91 in the Columbia Computer Center machine room in February or March 1969. Photo: AIS archive. Fourth Generation (1971-Present) Fourth Generation computers are the modern day computers. The Size started to go down with the improvement in the integrated circuits. Very Large Scale (VLSI) and Ultra Large scale (ULSI) ensured that millions of components could be fit into a small chip. It reduced the size and price of the computers at the same time increasing power, efficiency and reliability. "The Intel 4004 chip, developed in 1971, took the integrated circuit one step further by locating all the components of a computer (central processing unit, memory, and input and output controls) on a minuscule chip." Due to the reduction of cost and the availability of the computers power at a small place allowed everyday user to benefit. First, the minicomputers which offered users different applications, most famous of these are the word processors and spreadsheets, which could be used by non-technical users. Video game systems like Atari 2600 generated the interest of general populace in the computers. In 1981, IBM introduced personal computers for home and office use. "The number of personal computers in use more than doubled from 2 million in 1981 to 5.5 million in 1982. Ten years later, 65 million PCs were being used." Computer size kept getting reduced during the years. It went down from Desktop to laptops to Palmtops. Mackintosh introduced Graphic User Interface in which the users dont have to type instructions but could use Mouse for the purpose. The continued improvement allowed the networking of computers for the sharing of data. Local Area Networks (LAN) and Wide Area Network (WAN) were potential benefits, in that they could be implemented in corporations and everybody could share data over it. Soon the internet and World Wide Web appeared on the computer scene and fomented the Hi-Tech revolution of 90's. Desktop Computer. Fifth generation computers Fifth generation computers are mainly future computers. Of course some modern computers also belong to this generation. The aim of these computers is to develop devices that respond to natural