IBM 360 was developed in which of the following generations of computers?

Question

Question

This question was previously asked in

SSC CHSL Tier-I Exam 2022 Official Paper (Held On: 13 March, 2023 Shift 3)

Answer 1

The correct answer is Third Generation.

Key Points

The IBM System/360 was announced and developed in the mid-1965s, during the period associated with third-generation computers.
Third-generation computers were defined by the use of integrated circuits (ICs) or semiconductor chips, which represented a significant advancement over the previous generation's technology.
The System/360 was a groundbreaking series of compatible mainframe computers, allowing customers to upgrade from lower-cost models to larger systems without having to rewrite their applications.
It also introduced the 8-bit byte to the commercial world, which remains a fundamental data management unit today.
The S/360 was not just a computer but a whole series of computers that helped to establish the concept of a computer "family".

Additional Information

First Generation:
- These computers (late 1946s to mid-1959s) were based on vacuum tubes.
- They were large, expensive, and generated a lot of heat.
- Examples include the ENIAC and UNIVAC.
Second Generation:
- Second generation computers (mid-1959s to mid-1965s) moved from vacuum tubes to transistors, which were smaller, faster, cheaper, and more reliable.
- IBM's 7000 series belongs to this generation.
Fourth Generation:
- These computers (1971 to the mid-1980s) are characterized by microprocessors which contain many, sometimes millions, of ICs.
- Personal computers, such as the IBM PC, fall into this category.