There are four generations and
major characteristics that distinguish these generations are the following;
📌Dominant type of electronic circuit elements used.
📌Major secondary storage media used.
📌Computer language used.
📌Types or characteristic of operating system used.
📌Memory access time (a time to store or retrieve a word or data from memory).
Computer generations are usually categorized by dramatic improvement in the hardware,
typically tenfold or better increases in speed and reliability.
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major characteristics that distinguish these generations are the following;
📌Dominant type of electronic circuit elements used.
📌Major secondary storage media used.
📌Computer language used.
📌Types or characteristic of operating system used.
📌Memory access time (a time to store or retrieve a word or data from memory).
Computer generations are usually categorized by dramatic improvement in the hardware,
typically tenfold or better increases in speed and reliability.
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First generation (1950s)
💎This generation computer used vacuum tubes as components for the electronic circuit.
💎Punched cards were the main source of inputs, and magnetic grams were used for internal
storage.
💎They operate in a speed of milliseconds (thousands of a second) and could handle
more than 10,000 additions each second.
💎Most applications were scientific calculations.
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💎This generation computer used vacuum tubes as components for the electronic circuit.
💎Punched cards were the main source of inputs, and magnetic grams were used for internal
storage.
💎They operate in a speed of milliseconds (thousands of a second) and could handle
more than 10,000 additions each second.
💎Most applications were scientific calculations.
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Second generations (early 1960s)
💎Transistors were the main circuit components.
💎 Invented by Bell Labs, the transistor was
smaller, faster and more reliable than the vacuum tube.
💎 Magnetic cores, used for main
storage, could be concerned in microseconds (millionths of a second) with more than
200,000 additions possible each second.
💎Business applications become more common
place, with large data files stored on magnetic tape and disk.
📎Examples:
📌IBM 1620 –small scientific computers,
📌IBM 1401 –small to medium commercial
computers,
📌IBM 7094 –large scientific computer.
💎High level languages COBOL and FORTRAN were introduced during this period.
💎Batch operating systems are used that permitted rapid processing of magnetic tape files.
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💎Transistors were the main circuit components.
💎 Invented by Bell Labs, the transistor was
smaller, faster and more reliable than the vacuum tube.
💎 Magnetic cores, used for main
storage, could be concerned in microseconds (millionths of a second) with more than
200,000 additions possible each second.
💎Business applications become more common
place, with large data files stored on magnetic tape and disk.
📎Examples:
📌IBM 1620 –small scientific computers,
📌IBM 1401 –small to medium commercial
computers,
📌IBM 7094 –large scientific computer.
💎High level languages COBOL and FORTRAN were introduced during this period.
💎Batch operating systems are used that permitted rapid processing of magnetic tape files.
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Third generation (late 1960s, early 1970s)
💎It was characterized by solid-state logic and integrated circuit (IC).
💎Computer storage
switched from magnetic cores to integrated circuit boards that provide modularity
(expandable storage) and compatibility (interchangeable equipment).
💎Software become
more important with sophisticated operating systems, improved programming languages,
and new input/output methods such as optical scanning and plotters.
📎Example:
📌IBM system /360 was the dominant,
📌IBM 1130
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💎It was characterized by solid-state logic and integrated circuit (IC).
💎Computer storage
switched from magnetic cores to integrated circuit boards that provide modularity
(expandable storage) and compatibility (interchangeable equipment).
💎Software become
more important with sophisticated operating systems, improved programming languages,
and new input/output methods such as optical scanning and plotters.
📎Example:
📌IBM system /360 was the dominant,
📌IBM 1130
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Fourth generation (late 1970s, early 1980s)
💎It has greatly expanded storage capabilities and improved circuitry.
💎It has large scale
integrated circuits (LSI) which has several hundred thousand transistors placed on one tiny
silicon chip.
💎Computer memory operates at speeds of Nano-seconds (billionths of a second)
with large computers capable of adding 15 million numbers per second.
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💎It has greatly expanded storage capabilities and improved circuitry.
💎It has large scale
integrated circuits (LSI) which has several hundred thousand transistors placed on one tiny
silicon chip.
💎Computer memory operates at speeds of Nano-seconds (billionths of a second)
with large computers capable of adding 15 million numbers per second.
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The fifth generation computer
💎It is in progress. An architecture, which makes use of the changes in technology and allows a
simple and natural methodology for solving problems.
📎These computers will have:
📌 Intelligent processors, i.e., processors which can draw inferences.
📌Users will also be able to interact with them in natural languages such as English,
Arabic and etc.
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💎It is in progress. An architecture, which makes use of the changes in technology and allows a
simple and natural methodology for solving problems.
📎These computers will have:
📌 Intelligent processors, i.e., processors which can draw inferences.
📌Users will also be able to interact with them in natural languages such as English,
Arabic and etc.
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Types of Computers
💎There are different types of computers.
💎Their differences depend on different categories of
characteristics.
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💎There are different types of computers.
💎Their differences depend on different categories of
characteristics.
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1⃣ Classification by the method of operation (processing)
Computers are classified by the type of data they are designed to process.
📌They are classified into three:
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Computers are classified by the type of data they are designed to process.
📌They are classified into three:
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▶️1. Analog Computers
Analog computers operate by measuring.
💎They deal with continues variables, they don’t
compete directly with numbers, rather, they operate by measuring physical magnitude such as
📌pressure,
📌temperature,
📌voltage,
📌current etc.
🗝They are special purpose computers.
📎Examples:
📌Thermometer,
📌Voltmeter,
📌Speedometer,
📌 Gasoline pomp, etc.
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Analog computers operate by measuring.
💎They deal with continues variables, they don’t
compete directly with numbers, rather, they operate by measuring physical magnitude such as
📌pressure,
📌temperature,
📌voltage,
📌current etc.
🗝They are special purpose computers.
📎Examples:
📌Thermometer,
📌Voltmeter,
📌Speedometer,
📌 Gasoline pomp, etc.
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▶️2. Digital Computers
💎Digital computers deal with discrete variables;
💎They operate by counting rather than measuring.
💎 They operate directly up on numbers (or digits) that represent
📌numbers,
📌letters,
📌or other special symbols.
Digital computers have very high accuracy and speed than the analog ones.
Examples:
📌Abacus,
📌Desk & pocket computers 📌and most general purpose computers
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💎Digital computers deal with discrete variables;
💎They operate by counting rather than measuring.
💎 They operate directly up on numbers (or digits) that represent
📌numbers,
📌letters,
📌or other special symbols.
Digital computers have very high accuracy and speed than the analog ones.
Examples:
📌Abacus,
📌Desk & pocket computers 📌and most general purpose computers
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▶️ 3. Hybrid computers
💎The best features of analog and digital computers can be combined into a single device to form a hybrid computer.
💎A hybrid computer processes the information by collecting input data with analog method, converts it into digital quantities, processes the digital values and
converts the output from digital to analog form.
📎Example:
📌In hospital insensitive-care unit analog devices may measure a patient’s heart
function, temperature and other vital signs. These measurements may then be converted
into numbers and supplied to a digital component in the system.
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💎The best features of analog and digital computers can be combined into a single device to form a hybrid computer.
💎A hybrid computer processes the information by collecting input data with analog method, converts it into digital quantities, processes the digital values and
converts the output from digital to analog form.
📎Example:
📌In hospital insensitive-care unit analog devices may measure a patient’s heart
function, temperature and other vital signs. These measurements may then be converted
into numbers and supplied to a digital component in the system.
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Classification by purpose of application
💎Computers can be applied or used for different purposes.
💎Based upon their application, they
are classified as special purpose or general purpose computers.
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💎Computers can be applied or used for different purposes.
💎Based upon their application, they
are classified as special purpose or general purpose computers.
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▶️ 1. Special purpose computers
💎They are designed to solve a single type of problem, that is their components and their
functions are uniquely adapted to a specific situation involving specific application.
💎Most analog computers are special purpose computers.
📎Example:
📌The public telephone box,
📌Traffic control system,
📌 Ticket machines
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💎They are designed to solve a single type of problem, that is their components and their
functions are uniquely adapted to a specific situation involving specific application.
💎Most analog computers are special purpose computers.
📎Example:
📌The public telephone box,
📌Traffic control system,
📌 Ticket machines
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▶️ 2. General purpose computers.
💎They are designed to solve variety of problems through the use of “store program concept”.
💎A program or set of instructions designed to solve a problem is read and stored into the memory and then executed by the computer one by one.
💎The same computer can be applied to solve another set of problem using different program.
General computers are
more flexible and versatile.
Examples:
📌Microcomputers,
📌Mini computers,
📌Super computers etc.
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💎They are designed to solve variety of problems through the use of “store program concept”.
💎A program or set of instructions designed to solve a problem is read and stored into the memory and then executed by the computer one by one.
💎The same computer can be applied to solve another set of problem using different program.
General computers are
more flexible and versatile.
Examples:
📌Microcomputers,
📌Mini computers,
📌Super computers etc.
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3⃣ Classification by physical size, price, capacity and performance
💎At this stage, by a computer, we mean a general-purpose digital computer. General-purpose digital computers are then classified as follows by their capacity and size.
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💎At this stage, by a computer, we mean a general-purpose digital computer. General-purpose digital computers are then classified as follows by their capacity and size.
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▶️ 1. Super computer
Super computer is the fastest, largest and most potential type of computer.
💎 They have speed of hundreds of millions of operation per second, a primary memory capacity of about
80 million characters, and a secondary memory of capacity of about 20 times its primary
memory.
💎They are multi-user systems in intercontinental range.
💎They can carry out enormously complex scientific calculations.
💎They are used to process huge amount of data and are commonly used in
📌space technology centers,
📌 meteorology stations,
📌 astronomical observatories,
📌 intercontinental communications,
📌airline organizations.
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Super computer is the fastest, largest and most potential type of computer.
💎 They have speed of hundreds of millions of operation per second, a primary memory capacity of about
80 million characters, and a secondary memory of capacity of about 20 times its primary
memory.
💎They are multi-user systems in intercontinental range.
💎They can carry out enormously complex scientific calculations.
💎They are used to process huge amount of data and are commonly used in
📌space technology centers,
📌 meteorology stations,
📌 astronomical observatories,
📌 intercontinental communications,
📌airline organizations.
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▶️ 2. Mainframe computers
💎Smaller than in size and capacity, lower in speed & memory capacity than the super computers.
💎However, they are multi-user systems and handle
hundreds of users, usually used in large organizations.
💎The older ones used punched card for
data input.
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💎Smaller than in size and capacity, lower in speed & memory capacity than the super computers.
💎However, they are multi-user systems and handle
hundreds of users, usually used in large organizations.
💎The older ones used punched card for
data input.
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▶️ 3. Mini computers
💎 have relatively lower speed, can handle multi-users, are smaller in size than the mainframe computers.
💎They use terminals for inputs and output.
💎Mini computers are used in small organizations.
▶️ 4. Microcomputers
💎 Are the most widely used type of computers.
💎They are single users, can
fit on desktops, are of varying capacity and easy to handle. Microcomputers are sometimes referred as personal computers.
💎They have video display unit for output purpose.
💎Data is entered through the keyboard and by the help of floppy disk.
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💎 have relatively lower speed, can handle multi-users, are smaller in size than the mainframe computers.
💎They use terminals for inputs and output.
💎Mini computers are used in small organizations.
▶️ 4. Microcomputers
💎 Are the most widely used type of computers.
💎They are single users, can
fit on desktops, are of varying capacity and easy to handle. Microcomputers are sometimes referred as personal computers.
💎They have video display unit for output purpose.
💎Data is entered through the keyboard and by the help of floppy disk.
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Computers Systems
💎System is a group of components, consisting of subsystems or procedures that work in a coordination fashion to achieve some objective.
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💎System is a group of components, consisting of subsystems or procedures that work in a coordination fashion to achieve some objective.
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