The evolution of computers is a process that began in the 17th century, with the emergence of the first calculator, and lasts until today. Always being updated.
The history of computers is often divided into four generations. Addressing the creation of the first mechanical calculators to the mass use of personal computers, common today.
evolution of computers
Despite the popularity and importance of personal computers, the first computers had a different purpose: fulfilling the need to perform complex calculations in less time. were big calculating machines.
The advancement of technology and the discovery of better and smaller materials as components, made computers assume other functions, such as the so-called embedded systems, which are computers with a specific function. Cameras or Smart TVs are considered embedded systems.
Or critical systems, which are computers responsible for the control and warning of risk situations, are the machines present in planes, spacecraft or nuclear power plants. Until you get to today's personal computers. See how it evolved:
First generation
The first generation of computers appeared between the 1940s and the end of the fifties, and was composed of large and heavy machines. These were giant calculators that could perform calculations in about 5 seconds.
First-generation computers used electronic valves, unlike previous calculators that used mechanical or electromechanical elements.
The most famous computer of the first generation was the ENIAC (Electrical Numerical Integrator and Calculator) of 1943. ENIAC was able to perform calculations in 30 seconds that previously took 12 hours. It weighed 30 tons and was created to calculate tactical trajectories during World War II, but it only became operational after the end of the war.
Second generation
The second generation of computers encompassed the technology used from the late 1950s through 1965. The second generation was responsible for use of transistors, instead of electronic valves. It was the use of transistors that made computers shrink in size.
Computers of this generation were 100x smaller than previous ones and consumed less energy. The IBM94, for example, already weighed less than 1 ton. It belongs to the second generation, the first commercial computer: IBM 608, from 1957.
In 1960, integrated circuits appeared, which combined hundreds of transistors in a single device. Transistors are now placed inside silicon wafers, which have good conductivity and are safe. This made it possible for smaller and faster computers to be built.
Third generation
The third generation runs from 1965 to 1975. He was responsible for popularizing the integrated circuits and of silicon materials, which increased speed and efficiency. It was also the beginning of the use of chips, keyboards and monitors, computers started to have an appearance closer to what is known today.
In the 1970s, the first microprocessors were also created. The IBM System 360 was the standout computer of the period. It was created with commercial objectives and was aimed at companies. It was innovative in the concept of modularity, that is, the purchasing companies could choose a mode of operation according to their business.
fourth generation
The fourth generation of computers began in 1975 and continues to this day. was marked by popularization of personal computers. Computers and their components got even smaller with the emergence of microcomputers, microprocessors, and microchips.
It is also in the fourth generation that the computer giants apple It is Microsoft They emerge. The type of graphical interface known today is also built in this period, as well as the use of the mouse.
Is there a fifth generation of computers?
Some scholars indicate that a fifth generation in the process of computer evolution had already begun, but this analysis is not a consensus. The fifth generation would feature processors with more cores, greater power combined with the search for ways to reduce energy consumption, in an attempt to reduce the impact environmental.
As well as the growth of artificial intelligence and quantum computing, which are computers whose operation is based on laws of quantum physics.
Summary of the evolution of computer element technology:
Mechanics → Electromechanics → Electronic valves → Transistors
History of Informatics
Computer science began in 1642 with the appearance of the first automatic calculator, created by Blaise Pascal. At the time, there was a need for a technology that could perform calculations with algorithms.
Before Pascal's creation, there were other machines and tools capable of performing calculations, one of the most famous (and ancient) is the Abacus, which used stones to make calculations. The word calculus has its origin in Latin, and means stone. However, unlike the previous ones, Pascal's calculator was automatic.
Over the years, calculators managed to perform more complex calculations and with more algorithms. A Leibniz machine, from 1672, managed to perform the four mathematical operations Its creator, Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz, was responsible for the modern binary numbering system.
Another important calculator was the Arithmometer, from 1851, which was the first commercially produced. It was considered one of the most reliable calculators of the time.
During the Industrial Revolution in England, the calculator called Engenho Differences or Differences was created. Babbage's Differential Engine. The machinery was capable of performing polynomial equations, received, processed, stored and displayed data. He is considered to be one of the pioneers of the machine industry.
It is with the launch of this machine that computing and information technology as we know it today begins to take shape. Therefore, Babbage is considered the father of the computer.
see more about Informatics and its basic concepts.