Fourth Generation (1971-Present) Microprocessors

The microprocessor brought the fourth generation of computers, as thousands of integrated circuits were built onto a single silicon chip. What in the first generation filled an entire room could now fit in the palm of the hand. The Intel 4004 chip, developed in 1971, located all the components of the computer—from the central processing unit

 and memory to input/output controls—on a single chip. As these small computers became more powerful, they could be linked together to form networks, which eventually led to the development of the Internet.