Which statement best describes ENIAC's place in computing history?

Which statement best describes ENIAC's place in computing history?

• A. It was the first transistor-based computer
• B. It is one of the earliest electronic computers
• C. It is a mechanical calculator
• D. It was the first personal computer

Answer: (B)

The main idea here is recognizing where ENIAC fits in the evolution of computing. ENIAC was built with vacuum tubes, so its calculations were done electronically rather than mechanically. Completed in 1945, it demonstrated that a machine could be programmed to perform a wide range of numerical tasks, making it a general‑purpose electronic computer and one of the earliest of its kind. It isn’t the first transistor-based machine (transistors came later and replaced valves in the 1950s and beyond), nor is it a mechanical calculator (those rely on gears and levers, not electronics), and it isn’t a personal computer (that concept didn’t exist until decades later). So describing ENIAC as one of the earliest electronic computers best captures its historical place.

The main idea here is recognizing where ENIAC fits in the evolution of computing. ENIAC was built with vacuum tubes, so its calculations were done electronically rather than mechanically. Completed in 1945, it demonstrated that a machine could be programmed to perform a wide range of numerical tasks, making it a general‑purpose electronic computer and one of the earliest of its kind. It isn’t the first transistor-based machine (transistors came later and replaced valves in the 1950s and beyond), nor is it a mechanical calculator (those rely on gears and levers, not electronics), and it isn’t a personal computer (that concept didn’t exist until decades later). So describing ENIAC as one of the earliest electronic computers best captures its historical place.