Fourth Generation Computers (1971-Present)

Microprocessors are the reason we have the computers we use today. Microprocessors were silicon chips that contained thousands of integrated circuits.

The intel 4004, developed in 1971, was able to locate all the components of a computer. From the central processing unit to the memory and input/output controls.

Because the cost and size of the computers decreased very tremendously, computers were now available to everyday people. Some of the first applications that benefitted people was word processors and spreadsheets. In 1981 IBM introduced the first home computer. Throughout the years as computers became smaller, and more powerful, they were able to be connected together to form networkswhich later produced what we know of, the Internet.

Third Generation Computers (1964-1971)

Even though the jump from vacuum tubes to transistors was a great deal, transistors also generated heat and damaged other parts of the computer. The integrated circuit, invented by Jack Kilby, was what changed computers substantially and drove them into a new generation.

The integrated circuit combined electronic components into a small electronic disk. And instead of having to punch cards and receive a print out, people can interact with the computer using keyboards and a monitor.

The advancement also allowed users to run more than one application at a time which was coordinated by the computers memory. It also became accessible to significant number of people because it was more compact and cheaper.

Second Generation Computers (1956-1963)

Because vacuum tubes were such a hassle to work with, scientists needed to develop a way for computers to work faster and more efficient than how it was originally running. What scientists created was called transistors. Transistors replaced vacuum tubes, thus created the next generation of computers.

Transistors helped make computers much more compact, faster, cheaper and more energy efficient. Transistors are composed of semiconductor material that amplifies a signal or opens and closes a circuit.

The change allowed computers to move from machine language to assembly languages. Assembly language was more efficient in terms of programming because it allowed people to write instructions using words instead of numbers. High level programming languages were also being developed by these computers.

First Generation Computers (1940-1956)

The first generation of computers or also known as the vacuum tube years, was when computers used vacuum tubes as a basis for their motherboard. these computers also used magnetic drums for memory. These computers were so huge they would take up entire rooms. 

This is a picture of a popular first generation computer also known as the ENIAC. ENIAC was the first electronic general purpose computer. It consisted of 18000 vacuum tubes, 1500 relays and thousands of resisters. By the time it was completed, the computer weighed 30 tons, and consumed 200 kilowatts of power. Even though it looks trash now, the machine was revolutionary back then. 

The computers were very expensive to operate. To function they required lots of electricity. Because it required a lot of energy, the machines tended to heat up very fast. When computers overheat they end up malfunctioning. 

The only way for these computers to function was by a method called machine language. Machine language is the base of programming. The language only contains numbers (zeroes and ones) and is only read by computers.