Second Generation Computer

1948, the invention of the transistor is very influential on the development of the computer era. Transistors replaced vacuum tubes in televisions, radios, and computers. so the impact on changes in the size of the electric machines which initially has a large size into smaller size.

The transistor used in computer technology began in 1956. Other findings in the form of magnetic core memory, a second generation computers smaller, faster, more reliable, and more energy efficient than its previous predecessor. The first machine that can take advantage of new technologies is a supercomputer. IBM created a supercomputer named Stretch, and Sprery-Rand called LARC. This computer, which was developed for atomic energy laboratories, could handle large amounts of data, a capability that is needed by atomic scientists. LARC computer machine was very expensive and tend to be too complex for business computing needs, so that its popularity is limited. There are only two LARC ever installed and used, ie, one
in the Lawrence Radiation Labs in Livermore, California, and the other is in the U.S. Navy Research and Development Center in Washington DC This second generation of computers have replaced machine language with assembly language. Assembly language is a language that uses abbreviations to replace the binary code.

Later in the early 1960's, began popping up a successful second generation computers in business, in universities and in government. The second generation of computers is a computer that is completely been using transistors. They also have components that can be associated with the computer at this time: a printer, storage, disk, memory, operating system, and programs.

As one important example is the computer on the IBM 1401 that is widely accepted in the industry. In 1965, almost all large businesses use the second generation of computers as a tool to process financial information company.

Program stored in the computer and programming language that is in it gives flexibility to the computer. This flexibility increases computer performance at a reasonable price for the use of computers for business. With this concept, the computer can print invoices and then run the consumer purchases the product design or calculate payroll. Some programming languages ​​began to appear at that time. Programming language Common Business-Oriented Language COBOL abbreviated and shortened FORTRAN Formula Translator, was came into common use. These languages ​​replaced cryptic binary machine code with words, sentences, and math formulas more easily understood by humans. This allows a person to program and set the computer. then came the new types of careers in fields such as computer programmers, analysts, computer technicians and others. The software industry was also beginning to emerge and evolve in the second generation of this computer.

The second generation of computers have the following characteristics:

• Sirkutinya a transistor.
• The program can be made ​​with high-level language (high level language), such as FORTRAN, COBOL, ALGOL.
• Main memory capacity is large enough
• Computers smaller physical size than the first generation computers
• The process was quick operation
• Require less power
• oriented business and engineering

click to read => The third generation computers