Final answer:
The Harvard Mark 1 was notably limited by its storage capacity, a common issue for early digital computers which were used primarily by the military and universities. Advancements in computing, from transistors to microchips, eventually led to the personal computers we use today.
Step-by-step explanation:
The Harvard Mark 1 was advanced for its time, with every machine of its era being constrained in certain areas compared to the technology we now possess. When evaluating a limitation such as limited storage capacity, it's important to understand the context of its development. Digital computers like the Harvard Mark I were larger and more complex than today's devices, with their utilization confined to specific sectors such as the military and universities. As technology progressed, so did the ways in which computers could process large quantities of data, moving from the cumbersome machines of the early post-war era to the microchip-based systems that led to personal computers. Each step forward, from transistors replacing vacuum tubes to the popularization of microchips, enabled dramatic leaps in computing power and efficiency.
With regards to the Harvard Mark 1, while several factors such as slow processing speed, excessive size and weight, and a lack of binary code were all contributing factors to its limitations, it was the limited storage capacity that was particularly emblematic of its era and indicative of the rapid technological progress that was to follow.