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Why were the vacuum tubes used instead of transistors in early computers?
Wiki User
∙ 12y ago
Early transistors were much slower and far more expensive than vacuum tubes. Also computers built before 1948 there were no transistors to use at all.
Wiki User
∙ 12y ago
Wiki User
∙ 12y agoYou have it backwards.
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Why were the ABC and ENIAC considered first generation computers?
They are first generation computers because they used vacuum tubes as active elements, as did almost all computers until 1958 when the first generation is usually considered to have ended. From 1958 on most computers used discrete transistors as active elements until 1964.Note: ABC & ENIAC are both very early first generation computers as they used ordinary Radio receiver vacuum tubes, not the more expensive Computervacuum tubes that were introduced about 1948 to 1949. The later Computer vacuum tubes were custom redesigned versions and were far more reliable than ordinary Radio vacuum tubes had been.
What was the first shape of a computer?
Most early computers were very large cabinets or many 19 inch relay racks packed full of vacuum tube electronics.
Is First generation computers did not use microprocessors true?
I believe its true. Computers need a processor. The early processors were made using separate components, logic gate ICs and transistors. They became MICROprocessors when all the logic gates and components were combined onto a single silicone chip, as a dedicated processor.
When computers first came out did they do a lot?
The early first generation computers could do most of the things modern computers can do, and a few things modern computers can't. Their main limitations were very small memories (modern computers with gigabytes of RAM and terabytes of disk appear to have unlimited resources compared to the early machines) and slow speeds due to the large logic signal swings of vacuum tubes (sometimes up to 200V between low and high).
What were first generations computers like?
first generation computers were not fast and were less reliable.
What do you call the vacuum tubes used in transistor radios?
You don't, there aren't any. However some radios in the early 1950s did use both vacuum tubes and transistors. This was because early junction transistors were too slow to operate at RF so vacuum tubes were used in the RF and IF sections. These radios were called hybrid radios because they used both vacuum tubes and transistors.
What was the computer made of?
Several early digital computers were made of electromechanical devices similar to those used to build automatic dial telephone exchanges used at the time. First generation digital computers were made of vacuum tubes. Second generation digital computers were made of discrete transistors (most used germanium transistors but later some silicon transistors). Third generation digital computers were made of (hybrid, SSI, MSI, LSI) silicon integrated circuits. Fourth generation digital computers are made of microprocessors and other (VLSI, ULSI, etc.) silicon integrated circuits.
Why is mainframe used in programs?
A mainframe is just a physically very large computer, it is programmed no differently than minicomputers and microcomputers. All computers were mainframe computers before the early 1960s (because of the size of vacuum tubes and the first discrete transistors), when discrete transistors and then integrated circuits made possible the smaller minicomputers. In 1971 Intel introduced the microprocessor integrated circuit making the even smaller microcomputers possible.
Why were the ABC and ENIAC considered first generation computers?
They are first generation computers because they used vacuum tubes as active elements, as did almost all computers until 1958 when the first generation is usually considered to have ended. From 1958 on most computers used discrete transistors as active elements until 1964.Note: ABC & ENIAC are both very early first generation computers as they used ordinary Radio receiver vacuum tubes, not the more expensive Computervacuum tubes that were introduced about 1948 to 1949. The later Computer vacuum tubes were custom redesigned versions and were far more reliable than ordinary Radio vacuum tubes had been.
What kind of technology did the early computers use?
The same vacuum tubes used in radios.
Why were vacuum tubes used in first generation computers?
I did't find anywhere that it was when I researched it. Over 99% of computers built from 1940 to 1958 used vacuum tubes as their active elements for: logic, power supply, memory sense/drive, etc. circuits. Other computers at this time were electromechanical, magnetic, and a small number of experimental transistor computers were built. From 1959 to about 1965 most computers used transistors as their active elements for: logic, power supply, memory sense/drive, etc. circuits. A small number off computers at this time were magnetic or used primitive monolithic ICs. From 1964 on more and more computers used ICs, of progressively increasing density.
What jobs can a transistor do when combined with the CPU?
The modern CPU (typically inside a microprocessor IC) is built of billions of transistors (typically complementary MOSFETs). The CPUs of the late 1960s were built of tens of thousands to hundreds of thousands of transistors inside several hundred MSI ICs (typical silicon NPN BJTs). The CPUs of the late 1950s to early 1960s were built of thousands to tens of thousands of discrete transistors (typically germanium BJTs, gradually transitioning silicon BJTs). The CPUs of the early 1950s did not use transistors, they were built of hundreds to tens of thousands of vacuum tubes.
Why did the transistor revolutionize the computer industry?
because they were very fast and smaller in size which helped in developing computer with great speed and in reducing computer sizes and also because they are smaller in size less power consumption was there and also they took very less time to activate unlike the ancient computers.
What characteristic made the transistors better than the vacuum tubes?
smallerless waste heat, ran coolerdid not require high voltages to operatelower power consumptionno filament/heater to burn out, more reliablenot sensitive to shock or vibrationboth negative and positive current carrier versions available (tubes only have negative current carriers, electrons)Unfortunately early junction transistors only worked at audio frequencies, and thus could not be used to build radios or computers.
What is the name of first super computer in US?
Depending on how you define it it could by:IBM NORC (vacuum tube, very early 1950s)UNIVAC LARC (germanium surface barrier transistor, 1960)IBM 7030 Stretch (germanium diffusion transistors, 1961)CDC 6600 (silicon diffusion transistors, 1964)
Computer chip based device?
Today's computing chips are incredibly complex and contain billions of nano-scale transistors, allowing for fast, high-performance computers, pocket-sized smartphones that far outpace early desktop computers, and an explosion in handheld tablets.
Why do Pentiums require SIMM be installed?
Any computer, an intelligent machine, will require some form of memory for fast storage/executions. This is called Volatile memory - Primary Storage. The computer will store programs in the memory and call them with the program register located inside the processor. This is why it takes so little time to perform tasks on computers. You can thank transistors for making your life much easier. The older computers (Early 40s) used vacuum tubes.
