Management Information System (MIS) Practice Exam

What significant change occurred in the 1964-1990 generation of computing?

1. The mainframe era began.

2. The personal computer era began and interpersonal computing began.

3. The mainframe era ended and the personal computer era began.

4. The interpersonal computing era ended and the Internetworking era began.

The correct answer is: The mainframe era ended and the personal computer era began.

The significant change that occurred during the 1964-1990 generation of computing is best reflected in the transition from the mainframe era to the personal computer era. This period marked a fundamental shift in how computers were utilized and who had access to them. Initially, computing power was largely confined to large organizations that could afford mainframe computers, which were expensive and required specialized knowledge to operate. However, during this generation, advancements in technology, miniaturization, and cost reduction led to the development and proliferation of personal computers. As a result, individuals and smaller businesses began to access computing resources that were previously out of reach. This transition not only democratized access to computing technology but also sparked a significant cultural change and paved the way for new applications, business models, and personal computing paradigms that influenced nearly all aspects of daily life and business operations. The era saw innovations that allowed people to compute independently and more flexibly than ever before, which laid the groundwork for the modern digital age. The other options, while they reference important developments in computing history, do not accurately capture the essence of this particular timeframe's significance focused on the direct transition from mainframes to personal computing.