When computers were introduced into wide usage after World War II, they revolutionized the way modern societies function. Primarily, they have allowed for the more efficient processing and storing of vast amounts of information. The material processed by a computer, however, must still be entered into its data banks in some way, and must be output to be used. The development of "user friendly" devices to enter and extract information has been essential to the computer's success because these are the parts of a computer system with which most people regularly interact. Many methods of input have been developed, each presenting certain advantages and disadvantages. Punched cards were the first output devices used by modern computer designers. They were developed by Joseph-Marie Jacquard, a French weaver, who designed them in 1801 as a means of automating his weaving machines. In 1888 Herman...