The first generation of computers, beginning around the end of World War 2, and continuing until around the year 1957, included computers that used vacuum tubes, drum memories, and programming in machine code. Computers at that time where mammoth machines that did not have the power our present day desktop microcomputers.         In 1950, the first real-time, interactive computer was completed by a design team at MIT. The 'Whirlwind Computer,' as it was called, was a revamped U.…showed first 75 words of 316 total…

…showed last 75 words of 316 total…general-purpose computer to be completely transistorized was built at Bell Laboratories. TRADIC (Transistorized Airborne Digital Computer) held 800 transistors and bettered its predecessors by functioning well aboard airplanes.                  In 1956, the first system for storing files to be accessed randomly was completed. The RAMAC (Random-Access Method for Accounting and Control) 305 could access any of 50 magnetic disks. It was capable of storing 5 million characters, within a second. In 1962, the concept was expanded with research in replaceable disk packs.