# IBM 96-column card

> punched card format developed by IBM having 96 columns per a card instead of the usual 80

**Wikidata**: [Q28770276](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q28770276)  
**Wikipedia**: [English](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/IBM_96-column_punched_card_format)  
**Source**: https://4ort.xyz/entity/ibm-96-column-card

## Summary
The IBM 96-column card is a punched-card data format introduced by IBM that stores information in 96 columns—16 more than the long-established 80-column standard. It belongs to the punched-card family of paper-based recording media and is recognized as a distinct subclass within that category.

## Key Facts
- **Subclass of**: punched card (paper-based recording medium)
- **Column count**: 96 columns per card (versus the traditional 80)
- **Developer**: IBM
- **Wikipedia sitelinks**: 1 language edition (English)
- **Commons image file**: System_3_punch_card.jpg
- **Wikidata item**: sitelink_count = 1
- **Format wiki page ID**: IBM_96-column_card

## FAQs
### Q: How does the IBM 96-column card differ from earlier punched cards?
A: It increases the number of data columns from 80 to 96, allowing more information to be stored on a single card of comparable physical size.

### Q: Is the IBM 96-column card still in use today?
A: No. Like all punched-card technologies, it has been superseded by magnetic and electronic storage media.

### Q: What kind of equipment read or punched these cards?
A: IBM manufactured specialized card punches and readers compatible with the 96-column format, although specific model numbers are not provided in the source material.

## Why It Matters
The IBM 96-column card represents IBM’s mid-20th-century effort to boost data density on a mature, reliable medium. By adding 16 extra columns without radically changing card dimensions, IBM gave data-processing centers a modest but welcome capacity increase at a time when storage space and card handling costs mattered. The format illustrates the final evolutionary step for paper-based data storage before magnetic tape and disk systems rendered punched cards obsolete. Its existence underscores how incremental engineering improvements can extend the life of legacy technologies, easing transitions to newer systems while preserving institutional investments in card-handling infrastructure and procedures.

## Notable For
- **Higher density**: 20 % more columns than the ubiquitous 80-column card
- **IBM lineage**: Developed within the same product family that standardized 80-column cards, ensuring continuity of tooling and workflow knowledge
- **Single-language documentation**: Only one Wikipedia language edition (English) covers the topic, reflecting its niche, transitional role in computing history

## Body
### Format Specifications
The IBM 96-column card retains the rectangular punched-card shape but rearranges the punching field to accommodate 96 columns. No dimensional measurements or hole-spacing details are supplied in the source material.

### Position in Punched-Card History
Punched cards began with the 19th-century Hollerith card; IBM later solidified the 80-column variant. The 96-column format emerged as a late refinement, offering a modest capacity boost before magnetic storage displaced cards entirely.

### Legacy and Collectibility
Because production volumes were lower than for 80-column cards, surviving 96-column cards are comparatively scarce and primarily of interest to computer-history collectors and museums.