This document discusses the five generations of computers based on the main processing device used:
- First generation used vacuum tubes from 1945-1956. They were large in size, unreliable, and produced heat.
- Second generation used transistors from 1956-1963. They were smaller with faster speeds but still overheated.
- Third generation used integrated circuits from 1964-1971. They were much smaller and cheaper to produce but still complex.
- Fourth generation from 1971 onward used integrated circuits with VLSI. They were compact with low power consumption and cheap production.
- Fifth generation uses integrated circuits with parallel processing and is focused on artificial intelligence.