What type of technology was primarily used in early computers like the Z1?

Early computers like the Z1 predominantly utilized mechanical relays for their operational functions. The Z1, created by Konrad Zuse, was built in the 1930s and represents one of the first programmable binary computers. It used mechanical components to carry out computations, with relays functioning as switches that could open and close circuits to represent binary states (on/off).

Mechanical relays were essential to the design of early computing devices, facilitating not only arithmetic operations but also logic operations by manipulating electrical signals through physical movement. As technology progressed, subsequent generations of computers transitioned to using vacuum tubes, transistors, and eventually silicon chips, but the Z1's reliance on mechanical relays marks a significant stage in the evolution of computer technology.