Computer Generations and Architecture Review

A vocabulary set covering the five generations of computers, specific hardware technologies, and the distinction between computer architecture and organization.

Vacuum Tubes

Electronic devices used in first-generation computers ($1940-1956$) that control electron flow inside a sealed glass tube to serve as switches and amplifiers.

Diode

A vacuum tube function that allows current flow in one direction and converts AC to DC.

Switch

A function that changes between or represented by ON/OFF states, corresponding to binary $1$ and $0$.

Rectifier

A device that converts AC to DC for stable power.

Amplifier

A device that strengthens weak electrical signals.

CRT (Cathode Ray Tube)

Technology originally developed for radar systems, later used in monitors, which could store electrical charges as an early form of computer memory.

Williams-Kilburn Tube

One of the first electronic computer memory devices that stored binary data as electrical charges on a CRT screen.

Transistors

The key technology of the second generation ($1956-1963$) which was smaller, faster, cheaper, and more reliable than vacuum tubes.

Magnetic Core Memory

The primary memory of second-generation computers that used tiny magnetic rings called cores.

Integrated Circuit (IC)

A small silicon chip containing multiple electronic components like transistors, resistors, and capacitors; pioneered in the third generation ($1964-1971$).

Remote Processing

Accessing computing resources from another location, enabling the use of powerful computers without physical proximity.

Time Sharing

A method where multiple users use the same computer simultaneously as the OS switches between users rapidly.

Multiprogramming

A system where multiple programs are stored in memory simultaneously, allowing the CPU to execute another program while one waits for I/O.

IC Voltage Levels

Digital logic operations where High Voltage represents Binary $1$ and Low Voltage represents Binary $0$.

Microprocessor

A single IC containing the Central Processing Unit (CPU), characterizing fourth-generation computers ($1971-\text{Present}$).

GUI (Graphical User Interface)

An interface allowing users to interact using windows, icons, menus, and a mouse rather than text-based commands.

LSI (Large Scale Integration)

Technology that integrates thousands of transistors onto a single chip.

VLSI (Very Large Scale Integration)

Technology that integrates millions or billions of transistors onto a single chip.

Artificial Intelligence (AI)

Fifth-generation computer systems designed to perform tasks requiring human intelligence, such as learning, reasoning, and speech recognition.

Parallel Processing

A technique where multiple processors or cores work on different parts of the same problem simultaneously to improve speed.

Natural Language Processing (NLP)

A field of AI that enables computers to understand and generate human language through speech or text.

Computer Architecture

The overall design and functionality of a computer system from the programmer's perspective, answering the question: "What does the computer do?"

Computer Organization

The physical arrangement and interconnection of hardware components (CPU, memory, buses), answering the question: "How is the computer built?"

General-Purpose Computers

Computers designed to perform many different tasks depending on the installed software, such as laptops and smartphones.

Special-Purpose Computers

Computers designed to perform one specific task efficiently, such as ATM machines, MRI machines, or automotive ECUs.