Computer and It's GENERATION

Let us first define the term computer. Computer is defined in the Oxford dictionary as "An automatic electronic apparatus for making calculations or controlling operations that are expressible in numerical or logical terms."
The definition clearly categorise computer as electronic apparatus although the first computers were mechanical and electromechanical apparatus. The definition is also pointing towords the two major areas of computer application viz. data processing and computer assisted controls/operations. The another important confluence of the definition is the fact that the computer can perform only those operations/calculations which can be expressed in logical or numerical terms.

Computer Generation

From the early 1940's to the present, Computer scientists have been able to identify clear-cut stages in the development of computer technology. With each stage, radical change in electronics have taken place. As a result, the computers based on older technology of electronics have been replaced by a newer form of machines. These stages have been referred to as generation where each computer generation had certain unique characteristics or properties. The five stages of development in computers is commonly discussed and described as five generations of computer.

GENERATIONS OF COMPUTER

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A Computer is an electronic device for making calculations or contIrolling that are expressible in numerical or logical terms.....It is based on complex technology but it works on simple princple as shown........

In computer word"GENRATION"is a step towards the development and improvement that took place in the computer gen computer in1946 the first electronic computer called Electronic Numerical Integior and calculation(ENIAC) was completed
IN 1947 BARDEEN BRATTAIN and SHOCKLEY invented trangistors.In this gen led to the develpoment of high level language like Algol, Fortan, Cobal,and Snobol because of the large memory availability and higher reliability of comouters ................ Intrigated circuits, circuits cosisting of transistors, resistors and capicitors,grown on single chip of silicon,were emerged in the Third Generation...... During Fourth Generation ,intrigated circuits was replaced by Micpoprocessor chip. Another major breakthough of this generation was the concept of Internet.......Parallel processing ,application of artficial intelligence,Multimedia application, voice recognition ,language translation and many more the major development during the Fifth Generation...

GENERATIONS ARE.....

first generation of computer

The first computer used vaccum tubes for circuitery and magnetic drums for memory and were often enormous.taking up entire rooms.they were expensive to operate and in adition to using a great deal of electricity,generated a lot of heat,which was often cause of malfunctions.
first generation computers relied on machine language,the lowest level programming language understood by computers to perform operations,and they could only solve one problem at a time .input was based on punched cards and paper tape and output was displayed on printouts.
the UNIVACandENIACcomputers are examples of first generations computing devices.the unvac was the first commercial computer delivered to a business client,the u.s. census bureau in 1951.

vaccum tube

In 1946 the first electronic computer callrd Electronic Numerical Integrator and Calculation was completed. This particular used high speed vaccum tube switching devices,and has a very small memory. This was basically designed tocalculate the traectors of missiles,and took about 200 micrseconds to add two digits and 2800 microseconds to multiply.Later on ,in 1949 a computer called Electronic Delay Storage Automatic Calculater UNIVAC-1 was built by univac division of Remington Rand, where vaccum tubes were used.Computer programming was mainly done in machine language during this period.

second generation of computer

Trasisters replaced vaccum tubes and used in the second generations of computers.the transister was invented in 1947 but did not see widespread use in computers untill the late 1950s.the transister was far superior to the vaccum tube,allowing computers to become smaller,faster,cheaper.more energy-efficient and more reliable than the first generation predecessors.though the transister still generated a great deal of heat that subjected to the computer to damage.it was a vast improvement over the vaccum tubes.second generation computer relied on puched cards for input and printouts for output.
second generation computers moved from cryptic binary machine language to symbolic assembly language ,which allowed programmers to specify in words high level programming languages were also being developed that time.such as early versions of COBOLand FORTRAN.

Transister

Because of the large memory availability and higher reliability of computer,led to the development of high level language like ALGOL ,FORTAN,COBOL and SNOBOL.Also operating system were developed. Academic programmers in computer science are also started during this period.Application like linear programming critical path methods, simultions such as payroll, inventory control, production planning etc.were developed during this period.

third generation of computer

The development of the integrated circuitwas the hallmark of the third generation of computers.transister were miniaturized and placed on silicon chips,called semiconducters.which drastically increased the speed and efficiency of computers.
instead of printouts and puched cards,users interacted with the third generation computers through keyboardand moniter and interfaced with an operating system,which allowed the device to run many different applications at one time with acentral program that monitered the memory.computers for the firsttime became accessible to a mass audience because they were smaller and cheaper than their predecessors

integrated circuit

fourth generation of computer

The microprocessor brought the fourth generation of computers,as thousands of integrated circuits were built on to a single silicon chip.what in the first generation filled an intire room could now fit in the palm of the hand.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.
In 1981 IBM introduced its first computer for the home user ,and in 1984 APLLE introduced the macintosh.microprocessors also moved out of the realm of desktop computers and into manyareas of life as more and more everyday products began to use microprocessors.
As these small computers became more powerful,they could be linked together to form networks,which eventually led to the development of teh internet.fourth generation computers also saw the development of GUIs,the mouse and handheld devices.

fifth generation of computer

Fifth generation computing devices,based on artifical intelligence,are still in development ,though there are some applications ,such as voice recognition. taht are being used today.the use of parellel processing and superconducters is helping to make artificial intelligence a reality.quantum computation and nanotechnology will radically change the face of computers in years to come.the goal of fifth generation computing is to develop devices that respond to natural language input and are capable of learning and self organization.

Generation means step by step improvement on computers.
there are five generation of computers and in every generation there are some improvement upon the previous generation...................

generation	used material
first	vaccum tubes
second	transister
third	integrated circuit
forth	semiconducter
fifth	............