Computer Systems

Computer Generations and Types

COMPUTER GENERATIONS

1. VACUUM TUBES: 1946-1959

COMPUTER GENERATIONS

1. VACUUM TUBES: 1946-1959

2. TRANSISTORS: 1957-1963

COMPUTER GENERATIONS

1. VACUUM TUBES: 1946-1959

2. TRANSISTORS: 1957-1963

3. INTEGRATED CIRCUITS: 1964-1979

COMPUTER GENERATIONS

1. VACUUM TUBES: 1946-1959

2. TRANSISTORS: 1957-1963

3. INTEGRATED CIRCUITS: 1964-1979

4. VERY LARGE-SCALE INTEGRATED (VLSI) CIRCUITS: 1980- PRESENT

SUPERCOMPUTERTERAFLOP: TRILLION CALCULATIONS/SECOND

HIGHLY SOPHISTICATED COMPLEX COMPUTATIONS FASTEST CPUs LARGE SIMULATIONS STATE-OF-THE-ART COMPONENTS EXPENSIVE

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LARGEST ENTERPRISE COMPUTER 5O MEGABYTES TO OVER ONE GIGABYTE

RAM COMMERCIAL, SCIENTIFIC, MILITARY

APPLICATIONS MASSIVE DATA COMPLICATED COMPUTATIONS

MIPS: Millions of Instructions per secondMIPS: Millions of Instructions per second

MINICOMPUTER

MIDDLE-RANGE 10 MEGABYTES TO OVER ONE GIGABYTE

RAM UNIVERSITIES, FACTORIES, LABS USED AS FRONT-END PROCESSOR FOR

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DESKTOP OR PORTABLE 64 KILOBYTES TO OVER 128 MEGABYTES

RAM PERSONAL OR BUSINESS COMPUTERS AFFORDABLE MANY AVAILABLE COMPONENTS CAN BE NETWORKED

MICROCOMPUTER

LAPTOPS & SMALLER

LAPTOP (OR NOTEBOOK): Briefcase type package, very portable, can be inexpensive, can connect to other computers or networks

HAND-HELD (OR PALMTOP): Sub-miniature, wireless computer. Growing in sophistication and connectivity