【 COMPUTER GENERATION 】1st 2nd 3rd 4th 5th 6th ▷ 2022

The world of computing had its beginning almost a century ago. Everything begins specifically in the year 1939 although, as is obvious and as always happens, the ideas related to computing come from much earlier, the desire to digitize functions of devices and thus be able to carry out operations more easily. This is how what is known as “Computer Generation”.

This is a concept that encompasses, as we say, practically a century of study, invention and development of all kinds of computing concepts (and with them, machines), first analog, then hybrid, and finally digital.

This includes, so to speak, a total of six volumes into which the history of computing is divided to date and which are perfectly differentiated by one or more elements that definedthese generations. We will review all of them to find out what the history of the computer generation has been.

Origin and history of the generation of computers

We will begin by indicating that when we talk about generations of computers, we do not do it only to refer to what we now understand as our desktop or laptop computers. But we will go much further, before its appearance.

Silk from the year 1940 to 1958, always considering moments of releases or big events and not the previous moments of study. Which, have often been hidden in a premeditated way so that the competition did not know what was being worked on.

Obviously, the milestone that makes us speak of a first generation of computers is the step from performing calculations manually or semi-manually to doing it digitally and automatically.

In addition, we have other characteristic aspects such as:

• The immense size of these computing machines, of several square meters (or even cubic, since they were also considerably tall).
• Its construction with systems of vacuum valves to carry out the replacement of moving mechanical parts.
• The use of the so-called “machine language“.
• These machines they had a precise goalbeing sued for essentially military academies and centers.

Neumann, Mauchly, and Aiken.Among others, they leave us gems like the Z1, the first combined, the Colossus, created to communicate during World War II, the ENIAC, which included the CPU as we know it. Or the MARK I, the main computing machines of these years.

This one, very small, extends from the year 1958 to 1964. What defines it is use of transistors in the computers to end up replacing the vacuum valves, which occupied about 200 times more.

• As you can imagine, this would mean a large reduction in the size of the machines. They also consume less and produce less heat.
• All of this makes it possible for us to speak of the birth of the minicomputer.
• These equipments begin to be used in more sectorsespecially in banking and, accounting and warehouse logistics in general.
• We see that it develops, in 1959, the microprogramming.
• They are also beginning to be used more complex languages, called “high level”.
• The commercialization of COBOL was very famous.

Unforgettable personalities of this stage such as the multi-award-winning Amdalwho was in charge of the design of the IBM 360 series, a set of machines with the same software, but different specifications that allowed the user to get the most suitable one to satisfy their needs. Bardeen, Brattain and Shockleywho worked to invent the transistor and M.Wilkeswho developed microprogramming.

As for the computers that stand out in these years, we have the IBM 1401which is considered the most successful machine in all of history (selling 12,000 units), the PDP-1designed to be used by workers and not by mathematicians and engineers, the IBM Strenchwhich was the first supercomputer that included a complete system of transistors or the already mentioned IBM 360 series.

In this case, what marks the third generation, spanning the years from 1965 to 1971of computers is the use of silicon chip circuits to carry out the information processing, encompassing the previous transistors and other elements.

• that’s how it was achieved more capable processing in a smaller footprint and with fewer independent elements, which favors the reduction of incidents.
• It is very remarkable that computers start to be used “regularly” with commercial purposes. We can say that during these years the devices they become more “approachable”being known throughout the world and having features that make it useful for a larger audience.
• Improve reliability and they are more flexible.
• Teleprocessing and multiprogramming become common.
• In addition, people are beginning to talk about the computer on a personal level.

The IBM 360 series, already important in the previous stage, would be the first to include integrated circuits. Also noteworthy is the PDP-8, a minicomputer for social use that sold half a million copies and that worked with three programming languages. The PDP-11, profitable for an entire decade, It was the first to have a single asynchronous bus in which to connect all its parts.

Personalities such as kilby inventor and developer of the integrated circuit, and Noycewho fixed the initial problems of this, ted hoffwho invented the microprocessor, of special importance years later, and Kurtz and Kenemywho developed the universal BASIC language.

We advance to the year 1980 in a context in which the great step is the replacement of conventional processors with microprocessors.

• This supposes a new miniaturization of many of the parts of the computer.
• is also given a multiplication in power, capacity and flexibility.
• To the point of appearing and being put up for sale personal computerswhich occurs in the year 1977.

Other notable aspects of the decade are the appearance of the graphical interface, the use of the term “microcomputer”, the interconnection in networks to make use of the sharing of resources and the development of the capabilities of supercomputers.

To achieve this, experts such as ted hoff who, as we have already advanced, was the brain that developed the concept of microprocessor. Kemeny and Kurtz, which continued to be benchmarks for the increasing and more successful use of their programming language. The firm Intel, which launched the first microprocessor in history, Bill Gatesface of Altair Basic, the famous and revolutionary interpreter of BASIC and Wozniaka child prodigy capable of inventing all kinds of devices and improving them until they practically become others.

Unforgettable teams appear during the 70s. The first is cray-1the first supercomputer to use a microprocessor. PDP-11already revolutionary before, continued to make people talk because it was so good that, instead of designing another piece of equipment to offer the sector’s innovations, work was done on it to include them, keeping it on the market, and with great success.

Altair 8800 is the best selling computer with microprocessor (maybe in part because it went on sale together with a mouse and keyboard), in this case, a 16-bit Intel 8080. The Apple II family revolutionizes the market by launching itself as useful equipment for the home user, including benefits that come with the spreadsheet; Interestingly, the brand started out very affordable.

This is indeed a strange generation of computers. This is because it is described in two very different ways. On the one hand, it talks about the moment when Japan undertakes a project, total failure, on computer improvements related to artificial intelligence.

This was carried out starting in 1982 and lasted more than a decade, until it was considered unfeasible to continue with it considering the millionaire cost in resources and the results that, to say the least, were negative.

However, we must give this project a big round of applause because, in fact, and as you may be thinking right now, the Japanese have set their sights on exactly the point where it seems that the technology is going to be based for the next few years. centuries.

On the other hand, we can say that, apart from this project, what defines this long period of time or, rather, what makes us consider it as a different one, is the laptop development.

Of course, for so many years and at such an advanced time, much more has been achieved in terms of computing and information technology in general.

Next, we expose the milestones achieved in these wonderful years:

• Exponentially increase the speed and amount of memory available in the teams.
• Languages ​​are translated immediately.
• A number of ports are beginning to be introduced into computers and, with this, the possibilities are multiplied and a further customization of these. The most popular and most important are undoubtedly storage devices.
• Computers can once again be designed even smaller.
• Software is multiplyingalready appearing of all kinds and all levels of complexity.
• All this makes the fashion of cloning famous teams come back.
• Multimedia content stands out above the rest.

The inventions of the moment were the Osborne 1 microportable computer, the first to be presented at a fair, Epson HX.20.

Another much more functional laptop, with dual processor and microcassette storagethe flexible, thin and removable disk, ready to store information and be able to take it with us comfortably, and Windows 95, without a doubt, the best known on the entire planet.

We are in what is known as the sixth generation of computers, a stage in which there is no general characteristic but rather we find a lot of everything in terms of quantity and quality.

What we did find as a turning point to start the stage is wireless connectivity that allows us to be connected to networks and other devices without the need to use cables.

We will highlight points such as:

• The development of other smart devicesfirst phones and then many others such as televisions, watches and even household appliances.
• A brutal offer of devices for all tastes and needs.
• Internet as usual element and, in fact, necessary in the day to day of the whole world.
• Making cloud services available to all users.
• The popularization of streaming content.
• Online commerce also developed considerably until it became, in fact, a standard.
• A dizzying leap in terms of artificial intelligence.
• Use of vector and parallel architectures for computers.
• The storage volume of both internal and external memories stands out and becomes important.

The inventions and events of this millennium are the WiFi, fiber optics, storage drive capacity, SSD hard drives, smartphones, mobile operating systems, much smaller laptops and those that are already known as “laptops of…