Computing Generations

Question 1

Generation 1

Computing

Answer 1

(1946-1959)

First sparks of what we currently consider “computing”.

The ENIAC and Colossus used vacuum tubes for data storage, ran slow and hot under a lot of power, and were large enough to occupy a whole warehouse. Low memory, unreliable, and manually programmed in machine language.

Question 2

Generation 2

Computing

Answer 2

(1959-Mid 60s)

These computers used transistors which were much smaller and ran cooler than vacuum tubes and on less power. Only large enough to occupy a whole room. They were called “mainframes” and used assembly language over words.

Question 3

Generation 3

Computing

Answer 3

(Mid 60s-Early 70s)

The beginning of “modern computing”.

These computers ran on multiple transistors holding 1 and 0 bits and crammed together onto “chips”. Still quite large and expensive for quite low memory. Early Apollo space missions used these chips.

Question 4

Generation 4

Computing

Answer 4

(Early 70s-……..)

“Age of the microprocessors”

The chips were reduced from several square inches in size down to between 7-14 nanometers (billionths of a meter).Gone are mainframes, in lieu of PCs, laptops, and PIMs.

Question 5

Generation 5

Computing

Answer 5

(Early 80s-……..)

Age of A.I.

Amazon Alexa, OK Google… both examples of “machine learning”