Period |
Component used |
Access time |
Cost |
1949 - 1959 |
Vacuum tube |
in Milli seconds |
Very expensive |
1. The first computers used vacuum tubes for electronic circuitry and magnetic drums for memory.
2. They were very expensive to operate and the power consumption was high, generated a lot of heat, which was often the cause of malfunctions.
3. First-generation computers were communicated through machine language to perform operations, and they could only solve one problem at a time.
4. Input was based on punched cards and paper tape, and output was displayed on printouts.
5. UNIVAC and ENIAC computers are examples of first-generation computing devices.
Advantages:
- For Calculation and computation.
- Payroll Processing
- Record keeping
Disadvantages:
- Required a huge space
- Too big in size
- Very slow in speed
- Low level of accuracy and reliability
- Low storage capacity
- High power consumption
- High heat generation
- Used machine language
- Difficult to maintain
- Fault finding was very difficult