3 ms·
72-column lines are important because the IBM 709 vacuum tube computer(1958) could only read 72 columns from an 80-column punch card. (Due to its 36-bit word si
by kens 5y ago
72-column lines are important because the IBM 709 vacuum tube computer(1958) could only read 72 columns from an 80-column punch card. (Due to its 36-bit word size.) Thus, FORTRAN only used 72 columns and this became a standard. 60 years later, this limitation is still affecting people.
- vdjao 5y agoHa thanks for the laugh. Today I was in term and full screened it in my curved widescreen monitor to review some lengthy iptable entries and logs. Couldn’t imagine only having 80 columns anymore.