THE GENERATION
Second Generation(1956-1963)Transistors
Third Generation(1964-1971)Integrated circuits
Fourth Generation(1971-present)Microprocessors
Fifth Generation(present-future)Artificial Intelligence
BY:ADRIEN_D.A._1997
We already know about some of the early computers - ENIAC , EDVAC , EDSAC , UNIVAC I and IBM . These machines and others of their time used thousands of vacuum tubes . A vacuum tube was a fragile glass device , which used filaments as a source of electronics and could control and amplify electronic signals . It was the only high-speed electronic switching device available in those days . These vacuum tube computers could perform computations in milliseconds and were referred to as first generation computers.
The memory of these computers used electromagnetic relays , and all data and instructions were fed into the system from munched cards . The instructions were written in machine and assembly languages because high-level programming languages were introduced much later . Since machine and assembly languages are very difficult to work with , only a few specialists understood how to program these early computers
This is a searchable directory about the history of computers, computing and a
timeline of the history of computers and
early calculating machines has been included. Our timeline includes
developments in the 1600's and their impact on computing. The development of the
modern day computer was the result of advances in technologies and man's need to
quantify. (The abacus was one of the first
counting machines. Calculating machines were sold commercially before the advent
of steel manufacturing technologies. Papyrus was something to write on, before
we had paper. Writing was a way to record mathematical calculations.) This
history of computers site includes the names of early pioneers of math and
computing and links to related sites for further study. A new "Timeline of the
History of Computers and Related Technologies" has been added. This site was
designed to be used by students assigned topics about the history of computers
and computing. Original articles are footnoted and related links are included.
One important purpose of this Web page, is to debunk myths some people create,
such as "we have computers because of the military" (Not true). We have
computers because man wanted to quantify as early as the ancient Chinese
Dynasties, when they created the abacus and used it for calculating, and adding
and subtracting in particular... Babbage and Lovelace were "programming"
machines as early as the 1800's before any military computer in this country.
1801 was the creation of the Jacquard loom which used "punch cards". Cathode Ray
Tubes (CRTs) have been around since 1885 and the US gov't first used a computer
in the 1950's. Great Britain's COLOSSUS was developed before the ENGIGMA, so
people trying to perpetuate the importance of the US military in the development
of computer technologies is doing a disservice to students. Electronics and
related computer development, and the invention of the transistor were all
independent of military intent. If anything, even the totalisator machines were
created for statistical purposes and have been used for horse racing, not rocket
science. I love my Mac, and it has no military background that I am aware of.
Military computers did not have integrated circuits like PC computer chips
either... Stop saying computer development was military in origin... simply
can't back it up with fact. Yes, the military also had old computers, just like
my Commodore was old... but they weren't related... no tubes in my commodore,
that was different technology altogether than a military monster computer with
vacuum tubes... mechanical relays... ta dah... that was hot stuff in that age.
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