Second-generation computers used transistors to store data and were built between 1959 and 1964. The transistor was invented at Bell Laboratories in 1945 which later replaced the unreliable vacuum tubes in first-generation computers. The transistor was superior in that it required less power consumption and space, and was less costly to manufacture. IBM debuted transistor technology with its 7000 series mainframes, nine of which were sold to national laboratories for scientific use. In 1961, IBM held an 81.2 percent share of the computer market, and the success of their machines made a strong case for general-purpose computers rather than specialized systems. In 1964, Douglas Engelbart’s prototype of a computer with a mouse and graphical user interface, marked the evolution toward technology more accessible to the general public.
Computers and Our Society 