Describe the first generation of computer in terms of storage capacity
The first generation of computers, developed in the 1940s, had relatively low storage capacity compared to modern computers. These computers used vacuum tubes for processing and magnetic drums for data storage.
The storage capacity of these machines was measured in kilobytes (KB), which is significantly smaller than the gigabytes (GB) or terabytes (TB) used to measure modern storage capacity. The early computers could store only a few kilobytes of data, typically ranging from a few to a few hundred kilobytes.
These computers used magnetic drums as their primary storage medium. Magnetic drums were large metal cylinders coated with magnetic material, similar to a modern-day hard disk. The data was stored and retrieved by rotating the drum at high speeds and using magnetic heads to read and write data on its surface.
Although these early computers had limited storage capacity, they were groundbreaking for their time and paved the way for advancements in computer technology.