What was one of the first commercially available computers introduced in 1951?

The UNIVAC I, introduced in 1951, is recognized as one of the first commercially available computers. This groundbreaking machine was developed by J. Presper Eckert and John Mauchly, who were also involved in the development of ENIAC, another early computer but not available for commercial sale at the same time.

The significance of UNIVAC I lies in its historical impact as it was designed for real business applications and was the first to be produced in quantity. It utilized magnetic tape for storage, which was a novel approach at the time, facilitating data handling and processing. Furthermore, UNIVAC I was famously used by CBS for the first live election night broadcast in 1952, which showcased its capabilities to a broader audience and highlighted the potential uses of computers in various sectors beyond just governmental or academic research.

Other choices, while historically relevant, either represent later developments in computing or were not available for commercial sale in 1951. The IBM 7090, for instance, was introduced later in the 1960s, while the PDP-8 debuted in 1965. ENIAC, although earlier and pivotal in computing history, was also not marketed for commercial use as the UNIVAC I was.