Question Discussion & Solution

Transistors replaced vacuum tubes and ushered in the second generation of computers. The transistor was invented in 1947 but did not see widespread use in computers until the late 1950s. The transistor was far superior to the vacuum tube, allowing computers to become smaller, faster, cheaper, more energy-efficient and more reliable than their first-generation predecessors. Though the transistor still generated a great deal of heat that subjected the computer to damage, it was a vast improvement over the vacuum tube. Second-generation computers still relied on punched cards for input and printouts for output. Second-generation computers moved from cryptic binary machine language to symbolic, or assembly, languages, which allowed programmers to specify instructions in words. High-level programming languages were also being developed at this time, such as early versions of COBOL and FORTRAN.

The microprocessor brought the fourth generation of computers, as thousands of integrated circuits were built onto a single silicon chip. What in the first generation filled an entire room could now fit in the palm of the hand. The Intel 4004 chip, developed in 1971, located all the components of the computer

There is 5 generation of computer available till now. 1st Generation of Computer = The period of first generation: 1946-1959. Vacuum tube based. 2nd Generation of Computer = The period of second generation: 1959-1965. Transistor based. 3rd Generation of Computer = The period of third generation: 1965-1971. Integrated Circuit based. 4th Generation of Computer = The period of fourth generation: 1971-1980. VLSI microprocessor based. 5th Generation of Computer = The period of fifth generation: 1980-onwards. ULSI microprocessor based.

None.

International Business Machines Corporation, perhaps better known by its acronym IBM, is called the Big Blue.