In the hardware of the world's first computer, vacuum tube is used as logic element, and mercury delay line, cathode ray oscilloscope electrostatic memory, magnetic drum and magnetic core are used as main memory. External storage uses magnetic tape. The software uses machine language and assembly language. The application fields are mainly military and scientific computing. Its characteristics are large volume, high power consumption and poor reliability. It is slow (usually thousands to tens of thousands of times per second) and expensive, but it lays the foundation for the future development of computers.

2. The second generation: transistor digital computer (1958— 1964)

Hardware operating system, high-level language and its compiler. The application fields are mainly scientific calculation and transaction processing, and begin to enter the field of industrial control. Its characteristics are smaller size, lower energy consumption, higher reliability, faster operation speed (generally 654.38+ million times per second, up to 3 million times), and its performance is better than that of 654.38+0 generation computers.

3. The third generation: integrated circuit digital computer (1964-1970)

In terms of hardware, small and medium-sized integrated circuits (MSI, SSI) are used as logic elements, and the magnetic core is still used as main memory. In terms of software, there are time-sharing operating systems and structured and large-scale programming methods. It is characterized by faster speed (usually millions to tens of millions of times per second), significantly improved reliability, further reduced price, and products moving towards universality, serialization and standardization. The application field began to enter the field of word processing and graphic image processing.

4. The fourth generation: LSI (1970 to present)

In terms of hardware, logic elements are large-scale and very large-scale integrated circuits (LSI and VLSI). In software, database management system, network management system and object-oriented language have appeared. Its characteristic is that 197 1 year, the world's first microprocessor was born in Silicon Valley, USA, which initiated a new era of microcomputers. The application fields are gradually moving from scientific calculation, transaction management and process control to family.

Extended data electronic computer, commonly known as computer, is a modern machine that uses electronic technology and related principles to process data according to a series of instructions. Computer can be divided into two parts: software system and hardware system. The first computer was the ENIAC universal computer which was born in the University of Pennsylvania on February 5, 1946.

Computer-related technical research is called computer science, and data-centered research is called information technology. People call a computer without any software installed as bare metal. With the development of science and technology, some new computers are constantly emerging: biological computers, photonic computers, quantum computers and so on.

References:

Baidu encyclopedia-computer