Third Generation of the Computers
This Computer Started 1963-1971.
Third Generation Computers were based on integrated circuit (IC) technology.
Integrated Circuit (IC) is a small electronic device made out of semiconductor material.
The first integrated circuit was developed in the 1950s by Jack Kilby of Texas Instruments and Robert Noyce of Fair child Semiconductor.
Integrated circuits are referred with different names like Chips, ICs, Microchips, and so on.
The size of an IC is about ¼ square inch. A single IC chip may contain thousands of transistors.
Types of Integrated Circuits
SSI (small-scale integration)Up to 100 electronic components per chip
MSI (medium-scale integration)
From 100 to 3,000 electronic components per chip
LSI (large-scale integration)
From 3,000 to 100,000 electronic components per chip
VLSI (very large-scale integration)
From 100,000 to 1,000,000 electronic components per chip
ULSI (ultra large-scale integration)
More than 1 million electronic components per chip
The computers using small scale integration circuits (SSI) and medium scale integration circuits (MSI) are under this class.
The invention of IC Chips made it possible to greatly reduce the size of computers with improvement in operation speed (nanoseconds) and reliability.
The most noticeable achievement of third generation is the development of operating systems.
The operating systems allowed the machines to run many different applications.
These applications were monitored and coordinated by the computer’s memory.
User interface devices such as Keyboards & Monitors started from this generation.
Similarly, GUI (Graphical User Interface) also was started from third generation.
As a result of these advances which again made machines cheaper and smaller, a new mass market of users emerged during the ‘60s.
The examples of third generation computers are IBM 370, IBM System/360,UNIVAC 1108 and UNIVAC AC 9000 etc.
Advantages:-
1) Third Generation Computers were able to reduce computational time from microseconds to nanoseconds.
2) Third Generation Computers utilized operating systems to centrally control and made it possible for multiple programs to run on a computer.
3) Users interacted with computers through keyboards and mouse rather than traditional punched cards and printers.
4) Third Generation Computers devices consumed less power and generated less heat.
5) Totally general purpose.
6) Good storage.
7) Commercial production increased.
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