An introduction | Why computer ?
|Redd Caruana
The Hollerith Desk | Herman Hollerith
From what I managed to accumulate regarding the information about the Hollerith Desk is that it was a card reader that *automatically sensed holes that were pinned on the card . This mechanism could count the holes & show the number of holes it managed to gather. After the holes were counted and everything was at it's place the reading was published onto a screen (wall) that was just a head up, and one could discern the results.
*(automatically meaning at that time it was something huge)
Read Only vs Punch Cards | Then & now
At that time Punch cards were the sophisticated type and it was very intelligent at that time, it is because at that time instead of using data or cash and ticket, the punch card could know the person from : Height, Ethnicity, Gender, Age etc and this could only be punched for just one trip. Saying the term 'could know the person' if only the person keeping the tools for punching cards was accurate and not missing any information about the person.
Read Only | Now
Today's technology comes with a wide range of storages and the Read-only chip is the contrary of the Punch Card - but both can read data. The Read Only can be more private or discreet & can have multiple files and information whereas the Punch card can only have one. Talking about devices and storages, the Read Only card can be moved onto other devices and opening the data from one device to another. No limitations.
Referencing :
Hollerith Desk the next breakthrough [Online] Available at: http://pub.spsd.net/arthurhill/docs/Hollerith%20desk.pdf
http://0.tqn.com/d/inventors/1/S/K/B/punchcards2.jpg - Punch Card
https://mccarlgallery.files.wordpress.com/2013/05/hollerith-desk.jpg?w=640 - Hollerith Desk
Hollerith Desk the next breakthrough [Online] Available at: http://pub.spsd.net/arthurhill/docs/Hollerith%20desk.pdf
http://0.tqn.com/d/inventors/1/S/K/B/punchcards2.jpg - Punch Card
https://mccarlgallery.files.wordpress.com/2013/05/hollerith-desk.jpg?w=640 - Hollerith Desk