Harvard Mark I
device · 1944 · Electric age
Howard Aiken’s electromechanical programmable computer.
What it is made of
- Relay — has part. The Mark I was electromechanical, built from relays.
Principles and materials it uses
- Punched card — uses. The program was read from punched tape and the data from punched cards.
- Steel — is made of. The case is steel and glass.
- Copper — is made of. 800 km of wiring.
History: what it evolved from and what it influenced
- Babbage’s Analytical Engine — was inspired by. Howard Aiken named Babbage’s work as the source of his idea.
What it is a kind of
- Computer — is a kind of. One of the first programmable computers.