A Brief History of Computer Generations - …（电脑一代又一代u2014u2014简史u2026）.pdfVIP

Computer Generations 1 A Brief History of Computer Generations Joshua J. Reynolds The first computer was probably the abacus, which was used about 5,000 years ago in Asia Minor. As we know them today, computers were first used just after the Second World War, around 1945. Since then, several computer advancements have occurred that make it possible to classify computer power by one of the significant advancements that can be associated with particular time periods or generations. The following paragraphs summarize the major developments that occurred in each of these generations. First- Generation Computers The first generation of computers generally runs from 1945 to 1956. During this time, the first vacuum tube computer, the ENIAC, was invented. The first commercial computer was called the UNIVAC, and it was used by the U.S. Census Bureau. It was also used to predict President Eisenhower’s victory in the 1952 presidential election (Baker, 2003). Second-Generation Computers During this period, 1956 to 1963, computers were run by transistors. These computers were known for their ability to accept instructions for a Computer Generations 2 specific function that could be stored within the computer’s memory. This is also the period when COBOL and FORTRAN were used for computer operations. The entire software industry began in this generation. Third-Generation Computers This computer generation ran from 1964 to 1971, and it is characterized by the use of integrated circuits to replace the transistors from the previous generation. As a result of this invention, computes became smaller, faster, and more powerful (Diaz Moore, 2004). Fourth-Generation Comp