INTRODUCTION TO COMPUTER SCIENCE
7. 4th and 5th Generation Computers
Characteristics of 4th Generation Computers
1. Introduction of microprocessors (100th of integrated circuits were built into a single silcon chip.
2. Use of large scale integrated circuits.
3. Increased storage capacity and speed.
4. Special application programmers were introduced.
5. Increased use of minicomputers and microcomputers.
6. Development of graphics user interface.(GUI), the mouse, application mathematical modeling and simulation, electric fund transfer computer, aided instructions etc.
7. Computers became more powerful and cheap enough that schools,homes and offices were able to purchase them.
Examples of 4th generation computers IBM =2033 Series.
• IBM 4200 Series.
• Pentium series like 1, 2, 3 and 4.
5th Generation Computers
Characteristics of 5th Generation Computers
1. The speed is extremely high in 5th generation computers.
2. They can perform parallel processing.
3. The concept of artificial intelligence has been introduced.
4. Extra-large scale integration are introduced.
5. They are also used in nuclear, science and space technology.
6. They have more than on processor.
7. They have a high speed of accuracy and reliability.
8. Smaller and high storage memory of data for a long time.
9. Expert systems, robots and natural language processor.
10. High sophisticated operating system.
SUMMARY
• Computer is an electronic device which accepts data as input, performs processing on the data, and gives the desired output. A computer may be analog or digital computer. Speed, accuracy, diligence, storage capability and versatility are the main characteristics of computer.
• The computing devices have evolved from simple mechanical machines, like ABACUS,
Napier‘s bones, Slide Rule, Pascal‘s Adding and Subtraction Machine, Leibniz‘s
Multiplication and Dividing Machine, Jacquard Punched Card System, Babbage‘s
Analytical Engine and Hollerith‘s Tabulating Machine, to the first electronic computer. Charles Babbage is called the father of computer.
• The evolution of computers to their present state is divided into five generations of computers, based on the hardware and software they use, their physical appearance and their computing characteristics.
• First generation computers were vacuum tubes based machines. These were large in size, expensive to operate and instructions were written in machine language. Their computation time was in milliseconds.
Second generation computers were transistor based machines. They used the stored program concept. Programs were written in assembly language. They were smaller in size, less expensive and required less maintenance than the first generation computers. The computation time was in microseconds.• Third generation computers were characterized by the use of IC. They consumed less power and required low maintenance compared to their predecessors. High-level languages were used for programming. The computation time was in nanoseconds. These computers were produced commercially.
• Fourth generation computers used microprocessors which were designed using the LSI and VLSI technology. The computers became small, portable, reliable and cheap. The Computation time is in picoseconds. They became available both to the home user and for commercial use.
• Fifth generation computers are capable of learning and self-organization. These computers use SLSI chips and have large memory requirements. They use parallel processing and are based on AI. The fifth generation computers are still being developed.