· The Fourth Generation (1979- Present).

1. Large-scale and very large-scale integrated circuits (LSIs and VLSICs)
2. Microprocessors that contained memory, logic, and control circuits (an entire CPU = Central Processing Unit) on a single chip.
• Which allowed for home-use personal computers or PCs, like the Apple (II and Mac) and IBM PC.
• Apple II released to public in 1977, by Stephen Wozniak and Steven Jobs.
• Initially sold for $1,195 (without a monitor); had 16k RAM.
• First Apple Mac released in 1984.
• IBM PC introduced in 1981.
• Debuts with MS-DOS (Microsoft Disk Operating System)
• Fourth generation language software products
• E.g., Visicalc, Lotus 1-2-3, dBase, Microsoft Word, and many others.
• Graphical User Interfaces (GUI) for PCs arrive in early 1980s

MS Windows debuts in 1983, but is quite a clunker.

• Windows wouldn't take off until version 3 was released in 1990