Cards : There basically two types of cards :
Operation Cards : Selects one of four arithmetic operating by
activating the mill to perform the selected function.
Variable Cards : Selects the memory locations to be used by
the mill for a particular operation (i.e. the source of the operands and the
destination of the results).
Output : Could be directed to a printer or a card punch
device.
Harvard Mark I and the Bug
An effort jointly sponsored by IBM and UN Navy was made at
Harvard University and a system called Mark I was developed by Howard Aiken in
1944, which was a decimal machine.
A moth caused short circuit in the machine Mark I and broke
it down. Since then the moth or the “bug” is linked with errors or problems in
computer programming.
First Generation Computers : The Electronic Numerical
Integrator and Calculator ENIAC was developed at the University of Pennsylvania
in1945 to assist US Army in big calculations. It was very giant machine and
occupied rooms. Great amount of electricity was needed and emission of heat was
too excessive. Vacuum tube technology was used.
