IBM 029 Desktop Keypunch (4)

The IBM 029 was a card punch machine that used 80 column punched cards. This machine was primarily used as a data preparation device, producing punched cards that were used to enter data into machines like the IBM 1130. Machines such as this would often fill large rooms where women would work all day punching out data needed for future processing. A volunteer and Education Guide at The National Museum of Computing recalls spending their college holidays during the 1970s typing data onto punched cards. The rate was £1.00 per hour, with 1 shilling deducted for every mistake made.