Computers with microprocessors as the core belong to which generation of computers

Microcomputers with microprocessors as the core belong to the 4th generation of computers. Transistors are the characteristics of the second generation computers, integrated circuits are the characteristics of the third generation computers, vacuum tubes are the characteristics of the first generation computers, and large-scale integrated circuits are the characteristics of the fourth generation computers; and microprocessors are composed of one or a few A central processing unit composed of several large-scale integrated circuits.

#The operating environment of this article: Windows 7 system, Dell G3 computer.

Microcomputers with microprocessors as the core belong to the 4th generation of computers.

The fourth-generation computer refers to the computer made after 1970 using large-scale integrated circuits (LSI) and very large-scale integrated circuits (VLSI) as the main electronic components. For example, the 80386 microprocessor can integrate approximately 320,000 transistors on a single chip with an area of ​​approximately 10mm × 10mm.

Another important branch of the fourth generation of computers is microprocessors and microcomputers developed based on large-scale and very large-scale integrated circuits.

The four stages of the fourth generation computer

The first stage is from 1971 to 1973, with microprocessors 4004, 4040, and 8008. In 1971, Intel developed the MCS4 microcomputer (CPU 4040, four-bit computer). Later, the MCS-8 model with 8008 as the core was launched.

The second stage is from 1973 to 1977, the development and improvement stage of microcomputers. Microprocessors include 8080, 8085, M6800, and Z80. The initial product is Intel's MCS-80 (CPU is 8080, eight-bit machine). Later, there were TRS-80 type (CPU is Z80) and APPLE-II type (CPU is 6502), which were once popular in the world in the early 1980s.

The third stage is from 1978 to 1983, the development stage of sixteen-bit microcomputers. Microprocessors include 8086, 8088, 80186, 80286, M68000, and Z8000. The representative product of microcomputer is IBM-PC (CPU is 8086). The pinnacle products of this stage were APPLE's Macintosh (1984) and IBM's PC/AT286 (1986) microcomputers.

The fourth stage is the development stage of 32-bit microcomputers starting in 1983. Microprocessors have successively launched 80386 and 80486. 386 and 486 microcomputers are initial products. In 1993, Intel introduced the Pentium or P5 (Chinese translation as "Pentium") microprocessor, which has a 64-bit internal data channel. The Pentium III (also known as P7) microprocessor has become a mainstream product, and the Pentium IV was launched in October 2000.

It can be seen that the performance of a microcomputer mainly depends on the performance of its core device - the microprocessor (CPU).

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