Second Generation Computers (1959-1965)

Transistor was invented by Nobel Prize winners John Burdeen, Walter H. Brattain and William B. Shockley who jointly invented transistor ( short name for transfer resistor) in 1948-1949. Magnetic core of transistor is more capable of storing information than vacuum tube. The computers using transistors as storage media are classified as Second Generation Computers. One transistor could do the task of 1000 vacuum tubes. Due to this reason, it seemed that smaller and faster computers can be manufactured. We can take an example of Mark-I which has 18000 vacuum tubes and can b replaced by 18 transistors. IBM 1401 is an example of this advantage. Second Generation Computers are relatively smaller than the First Generation Computers and they are much faster and reliable.

General purpose computer was first developed by IBM. In 1950, IBM developed IBM 650, a general purpose computer. Similarly, in 1951, Remington Rand developed UNIVAC-I which could be used in business data processing. During this period, many other companies were also involved in developing computers.