Generations of Computers – This book covers the entire syllabus of “Computer & Information Technology” prescribed by the BNMC for B.Sc. in Nursing Science & Diploma in Nursing Science & Midwifery students. We tried to accommodate the latest information and topics.
This book is an examination setup according to the teachers’ lectures and examination questions. We hope in touch with the book students’ knowledge will be upgraded and flourished. The unique way of presentation may make your reading of the book a pleasurable experience.
Generations of Computers
Generation of Computer:
“Generation” in computer talk provides a framework for the growth of computer industry based on key technologies developed. Originally, it was used to distinguish between hardware technologies but was later extended to include both hardware and software technologies.
The custom of referring to computer era in terms of generations came into wide use only after 1964. There are totally five computer generations known until today. Although there is some overlap between different generations, the approximate period shown against each is normally accepted.
Generation of Computer:
| Generation (Period) | Key hardware technologies | Key software technologies | Key characteristics | Some representative Systems |
| First (1942-1955) |
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| Second (1955-1964) |
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| Third (1964-1975) |
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| Fourth (1975-1989) |
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| Fifth (1989- Present) |
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Characteristic Features of First-Generation Computers are as Follows:
- They were the fastest calculating devices of their time.
- They were too bulky in size, requiring large rooms for installation.
- They used thousands of vacuum tubes that emitted large amount of heat and burnt out
frequently. Hence, the rooms/areas in which these computers were located had to be properly air-conditioned. - Each vacuum tube consumed about half a watt of power. Since a computer typically used more than ten thousand vacuum tubes, power consumption of these computers was very high.
- As vacuum tubes used filaments, they had a limited life. Because a computer used thousands of vacuum tubes, these computers were prone to frequent hardware failures.
- Due to low mean time between failures, these computers required constant maintenance.
- In these computers, thousands of individual components were assembled manually by hand into electronic circuits. Hence, commercial production of these computers was difficult and costly.
- Since these computers were difficult to program and use, they had limited commercial use.
Characteristics of Second Generation of Computer:
1. They were more than ten times faster than the first-generation computers,
2. They were smaller than first-generation computers and required smaller space.
3. They consumed less power and dissipated less heat than the first-generation computers. The rooms/areas in which the second-generation computers were located still required to be properly air-conditioned.
4. They were more reliable and less prone to hardware failures than the first-generation computers.
5. They had faster and larger primary and secondary storage as compared to first-generation
computers.
6. They were easier to program and use than the first-generation computers. Hence, they had wider commercial use.
7. In these computers, thousands of individual transistors had to be assembled manually by hand into electronic circuits making commercial production of these computers difficult and costly.
Characteristic features of third-generation computers are as follows:
- They were more powerful than second-generation computers. They were capable of
performing about 1 million instructions per second. - They were smaller than second-generation computers requiring smaller space.
- 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. - They were more reliable and less prone to hardware failures than second-generation computers requiring lower maintenance cost.
- They had faster and larger primary and secondary storage as compared to second- generation computers.
- They were general-purpose machines suitable for both scientific and commercial applications.
- Their manufacturing did not require manual assembly of individual components into electronic circuits resulting in reduced human labor and cost involved at assembly stage. Hence, commercial production of these systems was easier and cheaper. However, highly sophisticated technology and expensive setup was required for the manufacture of IC chips.
- Standardization of high-level programming languages allowed programs written for one computer to be easily ported to and executed on another computered W.O
- Timesharing operating system allowed interactive usage and simultaneous use of these
systems by multiple users. Hitom - Timesharing operating system helped in drastically improving the productivity of programmers cutting down the time and cost of program development by several fold.
- Timesharing operating system also made on-line systems feasible resulting in usage of these systems for new on-line applications.
- Unbundling of software from hardware gave users of these systems an opportunity to
invest only in software of their need and value. - Minicomputers of third-generation made computers affordable even by smaller companies
Characteristic 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 and supercomputers required proper air- conditioning of the rooms/areas in which they, were located, no air-conditioning was required for PCs.
3. They consumed less power than third-generation computers,
4. They were, more reliable and less prone to hardware failures than third generation computers requiring negligible-maintenance cost.
5. They had faster and larger primary and secondary storage as compared to third- generation computers.
6. They were general-purpose machines.univih
7. Their manufacturing did not require manual assembly of individual components into electronic circuits resulting in reduced human labor and cost involved at assembly stage. Hence, commercial production of these systems was easier and cheaper. However, highly sophisticated technology and expensive setup was required for manufacturing LSI and VLSI chips.
8. Use of standard high-level programming languages allowed programs written for one computer to be easily ported to and executed on another computer.
9. Graphical user interface (GUI) enabled new users to quickly learn how to use computers.
10. PC-based applications made PCs a powerful tool for both office and home usage.
11. Network of computers enabled sharing of resources like disks, printers, etc. among multiple computers and their users. They also enabled several new types of applications involving interaction among computer users at geographically distant locations. Computer Supported Cooperative Working (CSCW), or groupware is one such application in which multiple members working on a single project and located at distant locations cooperate with each other by using a network of computers.
12. In addition to unbundled software, these systems also used add-on hardware feature that allowed users to invest only in the hardware configuration and software of their need and value.
13. PCs of fourth generation made computers affordable even by individuals for their personal use at home.
14. Supercomputers of fourth generation enabled parallel processing of different parts of an application on large number of processors used in these systems. This, in turn, enabled running of time-consuming applications much faster.
Characteristic Features of Fifth-Generation Computers:
1. Portable PCs (called notebook computers) are much smaller and handy than PCs of
fourth generation allowing users to use computing facility even while travelling.
2. Fifth-generation desktop PCs and workstations are several times more powerful than PCs of fourth generation.
3. Although fifth-generation mainframes and supercomputers require proper air- conditioning of the rooms/areas in which they are located, no air-conditioning is normally required for notebook computers, desktop PCs, and workstations.
4. They consume less power than their predecessors do.’
5. They are more reliable and less prone to hardware failures than their predecessors were, requiring negligible maintenance cost.
6. Many of the large-scale fifth-generation systems have hot-plug feature that enables a failed component to be replaced with a new one without the need to shut down the system. Hence, the uptime of these systems is very high.
7. They have faster and larger primary and secondary storage as compared to their predecessors.
8. They are general-purpose machines.
9. Their manufacturing does not require manual assembly of individual components into
electronic circuits resulting in reduced human labor and cost involved at assembly stage.
Hence, commercial production of these systems is easier and cheaper. However, highly
sophisticated technology and expensive setup (affordable only by a few organizations in
the world) is required for manufacturing ULSI chips.
10. Use of standard high-level programming languages allows programs written for one computer to be easily ported to and executed on another computer.
11. More user-friendly interfaces with multimedia features make the systems easier to learn
and use by anyone, including children.
12. Newer and more powerful applications, including multimedia applications, make the systems more useful in every occupation.
13. Explosion in the size of the Internet coupled with Internet-based tools and applications have made these systems influence the life of even common people.
14. These systems also use the concept of unbundled software and add-on hardware allowing the users to invest only in the hardware configuration and software of their need and value.
15. With, so many types of computers in all price ranges today, we have a computer for almost any type of user whether the user is a child or a world-fame scientist.
Computerized Medical Machine Used in Hospital
Computerized Medical Machine Used in Hospital:
| Defibrillators | Defibrillators remain the best tools for reviving patients during cardiac arrests. Defibrillators can be found in almost every hospital room today along with the first aid kit. |
| Patient Monitors | One of the most essential tools in the operating room, the patient monitor is a large device that records and interprets the vital signs of a patient during medical care or treatment. |
| X-ray Machine | X-ray machines help doctors diagnose illnesses, detect fractured bones, cavities and foreign objects inside the body. |
| EKG Machine | The first EKG (electrocardiogram) machine was built in 1903 by Willem Einthoven. An EKG machine detects any abnormalities in heart functions by detecting the electrical signals created by the movement of the heart’s muscles. |
| Ultrasound Machines | In a similar fashion as sonar, ultrasound machines map the body’s interior tissue and organs by emitting high-pitched sound waves that bounce off internal body structures to produce a visual image of them. |
Importance of Using Computer in Hospital:
To ensure everybody works efficiently, communication must be timely and accurate.
Computers make it possible for workers in different departments to coordinate in order to give quality services.
Computers also make it possible for patients and outside partners to get in touch with the office and get any information that may be required.
Automation of processes may help save lives and time.
Through the use of computers, services such as billing and patient detail compilation can
be made more efficient.
Medical offices using computers are able to serve patients much faster while ensuring accurate and secure billing.
Medical workers who need to find information regarding various issues can easily carry out research if their offices have Internet-enabled computers.
Computers help in organizing and safekeeping of records. Records can be used for future reference or may help in accountability and transparency. These records make auditing easier.
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