【 5th GENERATION of COMPUTERS 】 Highlights ▷ 2022

Bringing us closer to a more current moment, and offering us, in fact, news that many of us have experienced, we have the fifth generation of computers.

This is a stage of computer technology that spans two decades, from the 1980s to the 2000sand which includes highly differentiated aspects framed in a special moment for the sector.

This moment, long in time but stable at the same time, it has brought us many things and we want to let you know showing you how it was, who stood out and what inventions were echoed at the time. See all in full.

What characteristics define the fifth generation of computers?

The first and defining aspect of this stage is the laptop appearance. It is precisely this milestone that makes us leave behind, but by no means forgotten, the desktop PC. Thus, we see that the fifth generation of computers occurs when the IBM laptop is launched on the market.

The second element that also characterizes this stage is the project in which Japan embarks (called Fifth Generation Project) and that looks for the building teams based on artificial intelligence. Point out that this failed completely but, still, it serves as a framework for the generation.

In addition, we have the following:

• The computer model clones best sellers are becoming popular again, something that had been forgotten in previous years.
• They work very hard on the softwareso that they can offer much more, without errors and becoming increasingly versatile and easy to use, both to be understood by the user and by the rest of the machine’s software.
• speed takes over of the equipment, which become fully functional for all types of users.
• The amount of memory for affordable devices takes an equally spectacular leap.
• A new miniaturization of the parts takes place.
• It works with several processors in the same system.
• The programming languages ​​used are LIPS and PROGOL.
• The immediate language translation.
• Aspects of artificial intelligence such as robotics, natural language, speech recognition and expert systems. In this way, the devices become functional, capable of learning and working according to previous performances.
• The inclusion of different ports makes it possible for us to connect with different networks and devices.
• Storage devices become popular and accessible to be able to save information.
• Multimedia begins to gain strength.
• The DVD is set as standard for recording content.

What was the evolution and history of the 5th generation of computers?

The stage begins with the view of a laptop at a fair, the Osborne 1, which can be seen as early as 1981, although it makes us wait to see it for sale; not really a useful device, having many shortcomings. this one is followed a team from Epson, the Epson HX-20, much more efficient.

In 1982 the first one that processed in parallel appeared. It is also time to see the appearance of the Compaq Portable, a computer with a thick screen and a separate keyboard compatible, for the first time, one hundred percent, with the famous IBM PC desktop computer (excluding those of the IBM firm, of course). Same goes for Commodore 64a home gaming computer that went around the world.

Although not related to stage milestones, Apple launches what would be the substitute for the well-known Lisa, the Macintosh. It included, for the first time, a graphical interface, the desktop concept that we know and integrated the mouse. Curiously, their acceptance was minimal.

In 1991 IBM is in charge of designing and creating a switch the size of an atom, something of zero interest at the moment but essential for the development of dwarf computers. DEC also launches a supercomputer that follows 26 billion basic instructions in a second.

NCR, for its part, launches Notepad NCR 3125, a microcomputer with pen and no keyboard, folio size, only 3 cm thick. It includes a multitude of functions and its access requires manual writing. It is the predecessor of touch tablets and smartphones.

One year later the WWW is launchedWorld Wide Web or World Computer Network, the hypertext and hypermedia document distribution system through the Internet par excellence.

In 1993 IBM manages to record data on an optical disc using blue light laser. At the same time that all of the above occurs, since 1982, the Japanese are immersed in a project that, as we have already said, also serves as a framework for the time.

The goal of this was develop computers that use artificial intelligence in software and hardware to work on much more complex problems as well as personalized.

This involved an astronomical outlay, development of a number of prototypes and final devices and, unfortunately, a failure and abandonment after 11 years in which, despite making considerable progress in different aspects, the results were identical to those obtained with conventional computers and even, on occasions, counterproductive.

What computers and prominent items appeared in the 5th generation of computers?

The most significant devices of the fifth generation of computers were:

• PIM: A prototype hardware based on the union of several PSI machines that were connected in a network. It is part of the Japanese artificial intelligence project. In the end, we find five machines of the type. Its main feature was the group of 256 coupled processing elements.
• osborne 1: First portable type microcomputer that appears in 1981 at the West Coast Computer Fair to be put on sale, although without much success, two years later. With 13 kg, a CP/M OS, detachable keyboard and a tiny screen, it is too much inspired by the Xerox PARC from 1976. It included two ports, the IEEE-488 and the still usable RS-232.
• Epson HX-20: Announced in 1981 and launched in 1983. It has a high value for collectors because, unlike the previous one, its characteristics made it much more functional. It had a dual Hitachi 6301 processor, a matrix printer, expandable RAM, a microcassette for data storage, and an LCD screen.

• Compaq Portable SLT/286 1903: Very bombastic for including a significantly larger screen that allowed working with much greater comfort. Its graphics chip was superior, displaying 9×14 characters and included a reverse-engineered Compaq BIOS and the infamous Intel 8088 processor.
• Floppy disk: A storage tool that is completely deprecated but that, curiously, makes up the save button in computer programs. It is a removable square piece in which certain information worked on the computer is stored.
• Windows 95: Version of an operating system based on MS-DOS but with an attractive graphical user interface. Perhaps the best known operating system in history.

Best inventors of the fifth generation of computers

We are talking about a time when inventions do not stand out (with the clear exception of the laptop, which is either no longer a development or improvement of what has already been invented).

Even so, we can highlight von Neumannnot because of his activity in these years but because of his work in previous decadesstarting point and support and inspiration for the development of information storage elements.

Of course, Epson, Microsoft and IBM they did a spectacular job, each in their own way, launching essential products in computing.