What are the first to fourth generation computers in order?

The first to fourth generation computers are: 1. Vacuum tube computers, with logic components using vacuum tubes; 2. Transistor computers, with logic components using transistors; 3. Integrated circuit computers, with medium and small logic components. Large-scale integrated circuit; 4. Large-scale integrated circuit computer, the logic components use large-scale and ultra-large-scale integrated circuits.

The operating environment of this tutorial: Windows 10 system, Dell G3 computer.

Computer, commonly known as computer, is a modern electronic computing machine used for high-speed calculations. It can perform numerical calculations, logical calculations, and also has storage and memory functions. It is a modern intelligent electronic device that can run according to the program and process massive data automatically and at high speed.

The 1st generation: electron tube computer (1946-1958)

In terms of hardware, the logic components use vacuum electron tubes, and the main memory uses mercury delay lines and cathode rays Oscilloscope tube electrostatic memory, magnetic drum, magnetic core; external memory uses magnetic tape. The software uses machine language and assembly language. The application fields are mainly military and scientific computing.

The disadvantages are large size, high power consumption and poor reliability. The speed is slow (generally thousands to tens of thousands of times per second) and expensive, but it lays the foundation for future computer development.

2nd Generation: Transistor Computer (1958-1964)

The transistor computer host uses transistors and other semiconductor devices, uses drums and disks as auxiliary memory, and uses algorithms language (high-level language) programming, and operating systems began to appear. Since transistors are used instead of electron tubes, they are very light and the computing speed is relatively fast, reaching hundreds of thousands of times per second.

Software application fields of operating systems, high-level languages ​​and their compilers are based on scientific computing and transaction processing. Master, and began to enter the field of industrial control. It is characterized by reduced size, reduced energy consumption, improved reliability, increased computing speed (generally 100,000 operations per second, and can be as high as 3 million operations), and performance that is greatly improved compared to the first generation computers.

3rd Generation: Integrated Circuit Computer (1964-1970)

In terms of hardware, logic components use medium and small-scale integrated circuits (MSI, SSI). Memory still uses magnetic cores. In terms of software, time-sharing operating systems and structured and large-scale programming methods have emerged. It is characterized by faster speed (generally millions to tens of millions of times per second), reliability has been significantly improved, prices have further dropped, and products have become generalized, serialized and standardized. Application fields began to enter the fields of word processing and graphics and image processing.

4th Generation: Large Scale Integrated Circuit Computer (1970 to present)

In terms of hardware, logic components use large-scale and very large-scale integrated circuits (LSI and VLSI) . In terms of software, database management systems, network management systems and object-oriented languages ​​have emerged. In 1971, the world's first microprocessor was born in Silicon Valley, USA, ushering in a new era of microcomputers. The application fields are gradually moving from scientific computing, transaction management, and process control to the home.

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

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