Definition & Types of Computer Generation (part1)

An age alludes to the condition of progress in the item advancement process. 

•    The headway of PC innovation is commonly assembled into 5 sequential categories called the generation of computers.

There are five generation of computers- 
1. First generation (1942-1955)
2. Second generation (1956-1964)
3. Third generation (1965-1971)
4. Fourth generation (1972-2000)
5. Fifth generation (2001-Present) 

• Every age is portrayed by major mechanical improvement that in a general sense changed the way computers operate.
• Most major development resulted in increasingly smaller, cheaper, and more powerful, efficient and reliable computing devices.

Characteristics of 1st Generation Computers:

Design                        : design by the use of vaccum tube.
Size                             :  large
Space required          : lot of space was required for their storage
Storage capacity          : very limited

Heat generation       : produced more heat

Portability                       :   Non-portable.

Power requirement  : Lot of power was required to operate  

                                             them.

Processing speed      : Slow, since the switching time of vacuum 

                                       tube is very high.

Programs written    : Using machine language.

I/O operation           :  For input: punched cards, for output:                                              

                                     paper tapes.

Maintenance           : Constant maintenance with air                                                           

                                    conditioning  was required.

Cost                            :  very expensive.

Reliability                  :  Had little reliability.

User capacity            : single user computer.

Times of execution  : measured in milliseconds.


No communication and multimedia facility




প্রথম প্রজন্মের কম্পিউটার ( ১৯৪২-১৯৫৫)

• বায়ুশুন্য টিউব বা ভ্যাকিউম টিউব এর ব্যবহার

• পাঞ্চকার্ডের সাহায্যে ইনপুট- আউটপুট প্রদান

• প্রচন্ড উত্তাপ সৃষ্টি হওয়া

• চালনার সময় উচ্চশব্দ তৈরি হওয়া

• প্রোগ্রাম রচনায় সংকেতের ব্যবহার করা

উদাহরণ ঃ Mark-1, EDSAC, UNIVAC, ENIAC etc.

Characteristics of 2nd Generation Computers:

Design                        : design by the use of transistors.

Size                             :  smaller in comparison with the previous generation

Space required          : less as compared to the previous generation

Storage capacity          : increased as compared to the previous generation

Heat generation       : produced less heat

Portability                       :   had little portability.

Power requirement  : less power was required to operate them

Processing speed      : faster, since the switching time of transistor is very low

Programs written    : Using high-level language such as COBOL, FORTRAN etc.

I/O operation           :  For input: punched cards, for output:                                              

                                     paper tapes.

Maintenance           : Constant maintenance was not required.

Cost                            :  less expensive as compared to the previous generation

Reliability                  :  more reliability as compared to the previous generation


User capacity            : single user computers.

Times of execution  : measured in microseconds.


No communication and multimedia facility