third-generation computer

third-generation computer

[′thərd ‚jen·ə¦rā·shən kəm′pyüd·ər] (computer science) One of the general purpose digital computers introduced in the late 1960s; it is characterized by integrated circuits and has logical organization and software which permit the computer to handle many programs at the same time, allow one to add or remove units from the computer, permit some or all input/output operations to occur at sites remote from the main processor, and allow conversational programming techniques.

third-generation computer

A computer that used integrated circuits, disk storage and online terminals. The third generation started roughly in 1964 with the IBM System/360. See computer generations and System/360.