History of Operating Systems

Why Bother Studying Computer History?

"If you don't know your past you won't know your future." -- Ziggy Marley

"If you knew your history
Then you'd know where I'm coming from
Then you wouldn't have to ask me
Who the hell do I think I am?
-- Bob Marley

R. G. Collingwood
All inventions in computer science -- indeed all advances in mathematics, in physics, in engineering -- have been solutions to existing problems.

The First Generation (1945-1955): Vacuum Tubes

Characteristic features

• No operating system
• No programing languages
• Programs were on plugboards... later, punch cards

The Second Generation (1955-1965): Transistors and Batch Systems

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The Third Generation (1965-1980): ICs and Multiprogramming

The Fourth Generation (1980-Present): Personal Computers

The Fifth Generation (1990-Present): Mobile Computers

Credits

• UNIX history diagram: By Eraserhead1, Infinity0, Sav_vas - Levenez Unix History Diagram, Information on the history of IBM's AIX on ibm.com, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=1801948

External Links

• A timeline of computer history

Homework

1. Study lectures!