Fourth generation computers

In the fourth generation computer, thousands of integrated circuits were built onto a single silicon chip, and the microprocessor was introduced. What filled an entire room in the first generation computer would now fit in the palm of the hand! Microprocessors were used not only in desktop computers but in many areas of life, as more and more everyday products like microwave ovens, television sets and automobiles began to use them.

As computer became smaller they also became more user friendly, and large numbers of people began buying them for their person use. These small computers became more powerful, and they could be linked together to form networks, which eventually led to the development of the Internet.

The computers of the fourth generation are not easily distinguished from earlier generations, yet there are some striking and important differences