1. Early computers from 1940-1956 were large, slow, expensive, and unreliable. They used vacuum tubes for components which generated a lot of heat and frequently broke down.
2. The transistor was introduced from 1956-1963, making computers smaller, faster, more reliable and energy efficient compared to vacuum tubes.
3. Later generations from the 1960s onwards saw the development of silicon chips, microprocessors, and other hardware technologies that made computers over 100 times smaller than earlier models, with greater speed, storage, and reliability. This led to booming personal computer and software industries.