Second Generation Computers

Transistor Time!

IBM-1401

Switching from vacuum tubes to transistors during the mid-1950's was a big step for manufacturers in the sense that computers would decrease in size. In contrast to the predecessors, second-generation computers were made smaller, faster, more reliable, and more energy efficient by the development of the magnetic core memory system.

Supercomputers were the first to make use of this new technological component. These were built partially for work in laboratories where atomic energy was being researched.