How old would you say that a computer would be when you think it is an antique?

Question

Be serious, please!

Answer 1

Computer Generations
First-generation computers, starting with the UNIVAC I in 1951, used vacuum tubes, and their memories were made of thin tubes of liquid mercury and magnetic drums.

Second-generation systems in the late 1950s replaced tubes with transistors and used magnetic cores for memories (IBM 1401, Honeywell 800). Size was reduced and reliability was significantly improved.

Third-generation computers, beginning in the mid-1960s, used the first integrated circuits (IBM 360, CDC 6400) and the first operating systems and DBMSs. Online systems were widely developed, although most processing was still batch oriented using punch cards and magnetic tapes.

Starting in the mid-1970s, the fourth generation brought us computers made entirely of chips. It spawned the microprocessor and personal computer. It introduced distributed processing and office automation. Query languages, report writers and spreadsheets put large numbers of people in touch with the computer for the first time. Even with the hundreds of millions of people using computers every day, we are still in the fourth generation. Some skill is still required to use the computer even if only to surf the Web and send e-mail.

The fifth generation implies faster hardware and more sophisticated software that uses artificial intelligence (AI) routinely. Natural language recognition is a major component of the fifth generation. When you can have a reasonably intelligent conversation with the average computer, you will be in the fifth generation, perhaps in the 2015-2020 time frame.

Answer 2

Normally speaking, in order to be classified as an antique, something must be a minimum of 100 years old. The closest thing to that in the realm of computers would be something along the lines of Jacquard's loom.

Now, for a more reasonable estimation of an antique computer, you would probably need to find something along the lines of the old Univac or Eniac room-sized computers that were some of the first "modern" computers created, or possibly the code-breaking machines from WWII on which those computers were based.

If you want to limit it to home PC's, then, while it would be a stretch to call it an antique by any normal definition, I'm sure the old IBM 8088's would more than qualify. Some might try to argue that anything that's more than a couple of years old would qualify, but that's just being silly. Obsolescences is not the same thing as antiquity.

Answer 3

100 yrs old, everything is antique by that time

Answer 4

Out of the store for 27 minutes.

Answer 5

6 weeks. I am serious.