Computers and Networks
Kutub Thakur, Al‐Sakib Khan Pathan · 2020
A complete unit of modern computer system consists of many components, which can be classified into two major categories – referred to as the software components and the hardware components. The software components consist of the following: firmware, operating system or Operating system software, device drivers, and application software. The hardware components consist of the following: central processing unit, data storage, input devices, and output devices. The history of computers dates back to the 19th century when an English mathematician Charles Babbage first designed a computer named as “Analytic Engine”. That basic design lays the foundation for the evolution of computers to the modern shape and scale. The history of computers can be divided into five major eras or generations: First Generation (1937–1946), Second Generation (1947–1962), Third Generation (1963–1971), Fourth Generation (1971–2010), and Fifth Generation (2010–Present).