Division process of Generations of Computers

In 1962, computer scientists held a conference in which they decided to give generations for the development of computers. In different generations, different kinds of memory units were used. In the First Generation Computers, vacuum tubes were used; in the Second Generation Computers, transistors were used as memory device; in the Third Generation Computers, Integrated Circuits (Chips) were used as memory device. But recent advancements over chips has made Fourth Generation Computer consisting of Very Large Scale Integration (VLSI), and very soon, we will get Fifth Generation Computers with Artificial Intelligence (AI).

Later in 1969, an Intel engineer named Marcian "Ted" Hoff presented his design ideas for a microprocessor chip to the representatives from a Japanese calculator company. The first microprocessor - the Intel 4004 - could execute only a few instructions, and it could manipulate only tiny amounts of data at one time. Intel produced 8008 at the end of 1971 and 8080 in 1974.

In the spring of 1976, a young Hewlett-Packard technician named Steve Wozniak bought a microprocessor from MOS Technology and set out to build a computer around it. This computer -Apple I- was shown at the Homebrew Computer Club in Silicon Valley. A friend of Wozniak named Steve Jobs, suggested that they will form a company to market the Apple. With the financial and managerial help from Mike Markkula, a former Intel engineer and marketing executive, Apple suddenly became a major entrant into the computer industry.

In 1984, the lower-priced Apple Macintosh appeared with many of the same hardware/software features. Apple was not alone of course. Dozens of software suppliers announced integrated packages in 1984 that were designed for popular personal computers.

But still we have not reached the point of success and Japan has decided to produce fifth generation computers.