Second Generation Computers: Transistors

The second generation of computers stretched from the mid-1950's to the mid-1960's, and had a huge impact on modern hardware. The biggest innovation that influenced the second generation of computers was the invention of transistor. Replacing the vacuum tubes that were the prime instigator of first generation computers, transistors took up far less space. A lone transistor was able to store as much data as hundreds of vacuum tubes. In addition, there were many other advantages to transistors besides in lieu of tubes, besides being smaller and more equipped to store data: they were considerably faster operationally and did not produce as much heat as ENIACs and other first generational computers. There were new aspects to second generational computers taken for granted in modern day computers such as disk drives, memory and inputs for printers.
These advantages gave headway to the production of more accessible computers, that were eventually adopted by the business world. For example, IBM created the IBM 1401, which was the prototype for all current computing devices. The 1401 was relatively small compared to previous computers, and was adopted by businesses to help sort through financial information.