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Questions and Answers
What were the characteristics of first-generation computers?
What were the characteristics of first-generation computers?
- Huge machines that occupied entire rooms.
- Unreliable, prone to frequent failures.
- High energy consumption and heat generation.
- Used punched cards for input and output.
What was the example of a first-generation computer mentioned in the text?
What was the example of a first-generation computer mentioned in the text?
ENIAC (Electronic Numerical Integrator and Computer)
What was the example of a second-generation computer mentioned in the text?
What was the example of a second-generation computer mentioned in the text?
IBM 1401
What was the technology used in third-generation computers?
What was the technology used in third-generation computers?
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What were the characteristics of second-generation computers?
What were the characteristics of second-generation computers?
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What year was the programming language C developed?
What year was the programming language C developed?
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Who designed and wrote the programming language C?
Who designed and wrote the programming language C?
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Which programming languages did C begin to replace in the late seventies?
Which programming languages did C begin to replace in the late seventies?
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Which major operating systems still have parts written in C?
Which major operating systems still have parts written in C?
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Why was C suitable for system programming?
Why was C suitable for system programming?
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Study Notes
First-Generation Computers
- Utilized vacuum tubes as the main technology, resulting in large and energy-consuming devices.
- Operated in binary code, using machine language for processing data.
- Featured slow processing speeds and limited memory capacity.
- An example of a first-generation computer is the ENIAC (Electronic Numerical Integrator and Computer).
Second-Generation Computers
- Employed transistors instead of vacuum tubes, leading to smaller, faster, and more efficient machines.
- Introduced assembly language, making programming more accessible and versatile.
- More reliable and affordable compared to first-generation computers.
- An example of a second-generation computer is the IBM 7094.
Third-Generation Computers
- Based on integrated circuits (ICs), significantly enhancing performance and reducing size and cost.
- Allowed multiple processes to run concurrently, improving efficiency.
Programming Language C
- Developed in the early 1970s, with its widespread use beginning in 1972.
- Designed by Dennis Ritchie at Bell Labs for system programming tasks.
- C began to replace programming languages such as B and assembly language in the late seventies.
- Major operating systems like UNIX and Linux have components still written in C.
- C is suitable for system programming due to its efficiency, low-level access to memory, and ability to map closely to machine instructions.
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Description
Test your knowledge on the first generation of computers with this quiz! Explore the technology, characteristics, and examples of these massive machines that paved the way for modern computing.
