Generation of Computer

First generation
Characteristic features of first-generation computer are as follows:
1. They were the fastest calculating device of their time.
2. they were too bulky in size, requiring large room for installation
3. They used thousand of vacuum tubes that emitted large amount of great and burnt out frequently. Hence, the rooms/areas in which these computers were located had to be properly air-conditioned.
4. Each vacuum tube consumed about half a watt of power. since a computer typically used more than ten thousand vacuum tube, power consumption of these computer was very high

Second Generation:-
John Bardeen, willian Shockley, and walter brattain invented a new electronic device called transistor at Bell laboratories in 1947. Transistors soon proved to be a better electronic switching device than vacuum tubes due to their following properties:-
1. They were more rugged and easier to handle than tubes since they were made of germanium semiconductor material rather than glass.
2. They were highly reliable as compared to tubes since that had no parts like a filament that could burn out.
3. They could switch much faster (almost ten times faster) than tubes. Hence, switching circuits made of transistors could operate much faster than their counterparts made of tubes.
4. They consumed almost one –tenth the power consumed by a tube.
5. They were much smaller than tubes.

Characteristics features of second generation:-
1. They were more than ten times faster than the first-generation computers.
2. They were smaller than first-generation computers.
3. They consumed less power and dissipated less heat than the first-generation computers.
4. They were more reliable and less prone to hardware failures than the first- generation computers.
Third Generation:-
Characteristics features of third generation computers are as follows:-
1. They were more powerful tan second-generation computrers. They were capable of performing about 1 million instructions per second.
2. They were smaller than second-generation computers requiring smaller space.
3. They consumed less power and dissipated less heat than second-generation computers. The rooms/areas in which third generation computers were located still required to be properly air-conditioned.
4. They were more reliable and less prone to hardware failure than second –generation computers requiring lower maintenance cost.
5. They had faster and larger primary and secondary storage as compared to second-generation computers.
6. They were general- purposed machines suitable for both scientific and commercial applications.

Fourth Generation:-
Characteristics features of fourth generation computers are as follows:-
1. PCs were smaller and cheaper than mainframes or minicomputers of third generation.
2. Although the fourth-generation mainframes require proper air-conditioning of the rooms/area in which they were located, no air-conditioning was required for PCs.
3. They consumed less power than third generation computers.
4. They were general purposed machines.
5. Graphical user interface (GUI) enabled new users to quickly learn how to use computers.
Fifth Generation:-
Characteristics features of fourth generation computers are as follows:-
1. Portable PCs (called notebook computers) are much smaller and handy than PCs of fourth generation allowing users to use computing facility even while traveling.
2. Fifth-generation desktop PCs and workstations are several times more powerful than PCs of fourth generation.
3. They consume less power than their predecessors do.
4. They are more reliable and less prone to hardware failures than their predecessors were. Requiring negligible maintenance cost.
5. They have faster and larger primary and secondary storage as compared to their predecessors.
6. They are general purposed machines.