Computing Concepts Test

One of the largest electro-mechanical computers built, it was completed in 1944 by IBM. A 50 foot shaft running through the machine driven by a 5 horsepower engine kept the internal mechanics synchronized. Which computer fits this description?

• Harvard Mk I

• Colossus Mk I

• ENIAC

• IBM 608

What were the major issues with electronically controlled mechanical switches?

• They had mass

• They were prone to failure

• The machines using them attracted bugs

• They relied on instantaneous transmission of electrons

Why was the vacuum tube a significant upgrade to mechanical relays?

• There were no moving parts

• Thermionic emission is almost instantaneous

• They had a high burnout rate

• They looked cooler

What were some of the issues with vacuum tubes?

• Parts were suspended in glass bulb

• Prone to burnout

• Very expensive

• They did not perform well

What were the keys to the transistors success?

• Smaller components

• Components packaged in a solid state

• The semiconductor

• They just worked faster

What was the computer that made heavy use of vacuum tubes - making it the first fully electronic programmable computer?

• Colossus Mk I

• Harvard Mk I

• Altair 8800

• IBM 608

This computer was the first to only use transistors.

• IBM 608

• Harvard Mk II

• Colossus Mk I

• ENIAC

What were the defining characteristics of the ENIAC computer?

• General Purpose

• Programmable

• Electronic

• Supersonic

• Specialized

What component was used to replace vacuum tubes.

What component used in computers made use of a process called thermionic transmission?