EVOLUTION of computer

 

FOURTH GENERATION COMPUTER:

The period of fourth generation was 1971-1980. The computers of fourth generation used Very Large Scale Integrated (VLSI) circuits. VLSI circuits having about 5000 transistors and other circuit elements and their associated circuits on a single chip made it possible to have microcomputers of fourth generation. Fourth generation computers became more powerful, compact, reliable, and affordable. As a result, it gave rise to personal computer (PC) revolution. In this generation time sharing, real time, networks, distributed operating system were used. All the high-level languages like C, C++, DBASE etc., were used in this generation.

The main features of fourth generation are:

• VLSI technology used

• Very cheap

• Portable and reliable

• Use of PC's

• Very small size

• Pipeline processing

• No A.C. needed

• Concept of internet was introduced

• Great developments in the fields of networks

• Computers became easily available