The different phases of this long period are known as computer generations.

The first generation

of computers was developed from 1946-1959, followed by the second generation from the
1950s-1960s, the third generation from 1964-1971, the fourth generation from 1971-2010, and
the period from 2010 to till date and beyond is roughly considered as the period of the fifth
generation of computers. In this article, we will discuss the computer generation in great detail.
Key Highlights of Generations of Computers & Their Changes

Generation Time Period Evolved Hardware Key Changes

First Large computers using vacuum tubes. Limited

1946 - 1959 Vacuum tubes
Generation processing speed and storage.

Second Transistors replaced vacuum tubes, making

1950s - 1960s Transistors
Generation computers smaller, faster, and more reliable.

Third Integrated Circuits (ICs) made computers even

1964 - 1971 Integrated circuits
Generation smaller, faster, and more affordable.

Fourth Microprocessors enabled personal computers. The

1971 - 2010 Microprocessors
Generation internet and networking became widely used.

Fifth 2010 - Present & AI hardware, neural AI, cloud computing, and IoT advanced computing.
Generation Beyond networks Quantum co

First Generation of Computers

The first generation used vacuum tube technology and were built between 1946 and 1959.
Vacuum tubes were expensive and produced a lot of heat, which made these computers very
expensive and only affordable to large organizations. Machine language was the programming
language used for these computers, and they could not multitask.
The ENIAC was the first electronic general-purpose computer that used 18,000 vacuum tubes
and was built in 1943 for war-related calculations. Examples of the first generation include
EDVAC, IBM-650, IBM-701, Manchester Mark 1, Mark 2, etc.
Here are two of the main advantages of first generation:
 The first generation was tough to hack and was quite strong.
 The first generation could perform calculations quickly, in just one-thousandth of a
second.
Here are two of the main disadvantages of first generation:
 They consumed high amounts of energy/electricity.
 They were not portable due to their weight and size.

Second Generation of Computers

The second generation of computers was developed in the late 1950s and 1960s. These
computers replaced vacuum tubes with transistors making them smaller, faster and more
efficient. This was done as transistors were more reliable than vacuum tubes, required less
maintenance and generated less heat.
Second-generation computers were smaller and more portable, making them accessible to a
wider audience. Magnetic core memory was also introduced in this generation, which was faster
and more reliable. This laid the foundation for further developments, paving the way for the third
generation that used integrated circuits.
Here are two of the main advantages of second generation:
 They provided better speed and improved accuracy.
 Computers developed in this era were smaller, more reliable, and capable of using less
power.
Here are two of the main disadvantages of second generation:
 They were only used for specific objectives and required frequent maintenance.
 The second generation of computer used punch cards for input, which required frequent
maintenance.

Third Generation of Computers

The third generation of computers emerged between 1964 and 1971. This generation used
microchips or integrated circuits, making it possible to create smaller, cheaper, and much faster
computers.
The third generation of computers was much faster than previous generations, with
computational times reduced from microseconds to nanoseconds. New input devices like the
mouse and keyboard were introduced, replacing older methods like punch cards. New
functionalities, like multiprogramming and time-sharing, and remote processing, were
introduced, allowing for more efficient use of computer resources.
Here are two of the main advantages of third generation:
 The use of integrated circuits made them more reliable.
 Smaller in size and required less space than previous generations.
Here are two of the main disadvantages of third generation:
 Advanced technology was needed to manufacture IC chips.
 Formal training was necessary to operate third-gen computers.

Fourth Generation of Computers

Fourth generation computers were developed in 1972 after third generation that used
microprocessors. They used Very Large Scale Integrated (VLSI) circuits, which contained about
5000 transistors capable of performing complex activities and computations.
Fourth generation computers were more adaptable, had more primary storage capacity, were
faster and more reliable than previous generations, and were also portable, small, and required
less electricity. Intel was the first company to develop a microprocessor used in fourth generation
computer.
Fourth generation computers used LSI chip technology and were incredibly powerful but also
very small, leading to a societal revolution in the computer industry. This generation had the first
supercomputers, used complex programming languages like C, C++, DBASE, etc., and could
perform many accurate calculations.
Here are two of the main advantages of fourth generation:
 Fourth generation computers were smaller and more dependable.
 GUI (Graphics User Interface) technology was used in this generation to provide users
with better comfort.
Here are two of the main disadvantages of fourth generation:
 They use complex VLSI Chips, and VLSI Chip manufacturing requires advanced
technology.
 To build these computers, Integrated Circuits (ICs) were required, and to develop those,
cutting-edge technology was needed.

Fifth Generation of Computers

The fifth generation of computers emerged after the fourth generation and is still being
developed. Computers of fifth generation use artificial intelligence (AI) to perform various tasks.
These computers use programming languages such as Python, R, C#, Java, etc., as input
methods.
The fifth generation computers employ ULSI technology (Ultra Large Scale Integration), parallel
processing, and AI to perform scientific computations and develop AI software. They can
perform intricate tasks such as image recognition, human speech interpretation, natural language
understanding, etc. Examples of fifth generation include laptops, desktops, notebooks,
chromebooks, etc.
Here are two of the main advantages of fifth generation:
 These computers are lightweight and easy to move around.
 They are easier to repair and parallel processing technology has improved in these
computers.
Here are two of the main disadvantages of fifth generation:
 Using it for spying on people.
 Fear of unemployment due to AI replacing jobs.