Computer Era (1946 - Today)

• Second Generation (1959 - 64)
  • Characteristics
    • Used transistors
    • Assembly and other high level programming languages developed
    • 7 000 000 calculations per second
    • Hard disk storage available
  • Themes
    • Faster
    • Size starting to shrink a little
    • Little more reliable
    • Heat output dramatically reduced
    • Cost is still expensive
  • Important Computers and / or Events
    • 1961 Integrated Circuit (ICs)
      • Jack Kilby and Robert Noyce
      • first commercially available integrated circuits became available from the Fairchild Corporation
      • from this date forward computers would use ICs instead of individual transistors or other components
    • 1964 IBM 360
      • Hugely successful line of computers
      • Had 70% of market
      • Several different computers, all compatible