Research into Generations of Computers
             Over the last 60 years computers have developed from a thirty ton monstrous machine with 19,000 vacuum tubes, 1,500 relays, hundreds and thousands of resistors, capacitors and conductors that consumed almost 200 kilowatts of electrical power into a small metal box that allows any user to surf the internet, listen to music, do business work or play realistic games. This development took five steps, or generations of computers.
             The first generation was called ENIAC, or Electronic Numeric Integrator and Calculator. The first ENIAC was designed by Mauchly and Eckert in 1946. The aim of the designers was to make the machine as fast as possible by making it as "all-electronic" as possible. It was able to store up to a maximum of twenty 10-digit decimal numbers. Its accumulators combined the functions of an adding machine and storage unit. No central memory unit existed, storage was localized within the functioning units of the computer.
             The second generation of computers occured between late 50's and mid 60's. This generation was a huge step further from the ENIAC computers, due to the size and speed of the machines. While the use of transistors allowed radios, TVs and amplifiers it has also allowed computers to become much smaller, faster and less energy draining. The main memory (RAM) reduced from revolving magnetic drums to tiny wire-wrapped magnetic donuts called magnetic core memory. This is what allowed computers to become so much smaller and more efficient. Also, the programming language has evolved from binary 0's and 1's to a more understandable for humans set of commands. One of the examples from the early computers with transistor usage was IBM 1401(9). Besides the size and efficiency advantages, the main advantage of second generation computers was the capability of storing program and programming language which allowed the instructions to run a comput...