The Five Generations of Computers

“The history of computer development is often referred to in
reference to the different generations of computing devices. Each
generation of computer is characterized by a major technological
development that fundamentally changed the way computers operate,
resulting in increasingly smaller, cheaper, more powerful and more
efficient and reliable devices.

“Read about each generation and the developments that led to the
current devices that we use today.

“First Generation (1940-1956) Vacuum Tubes The first computers
used vacuum tubes for circuitry and magnetic drums for memory, and
were often enormous, taking up entire rooms. They were very
expensive to operate and in addition to using a great deal of
electricity, generated a lot of heat, which was often the cause of
malfunctions.”

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