Who designed the first general-purpose electronic computer ENIAC (Electronic Numerical Integrator and Computer) in the 1940s?

Introduction / Context:
ENIAC (Electronic Numerical Integrator and Computer) is often cited as one of the first general-purpose electronic digital computers. It was built during World War II to perform complex calculations, especially for ballistic trajectories. This question asks you to identify the two main designers of ENIAC, a fact that appears frequently in computer history and general knowledge sections of competitive exams.

Given Data / Assumptions:

• The focus is on the first general-purpose electronic computer, ENIAC.
• The time period is the 1940s.
• We need to choose the correct pair of designers.
• We assume familiarity with names such as Eckert, Mauchly, and von Neumann.

Concept / Approach:
ENIAC was developed at the University of Pennsylvania's Moore School of Electrical Engineering. The primary designers were J. Presper Eckert (an electrical engineer) and John W. Mauchly (a physicist). John von Neumann contributed important ideas to later stored-program architectures, but he was not the original co-designer named in ENIAC's development team. Therefore, for this question, we must match ENIAC's design work with the Eckert–Mauchly pair.

Step-by-Step Solution:

Verification / Alternative check:
Many introductory computer science books include a timeline showing ENIAC and crediting its design to Eckert and Mauchly. They also note that the Eckert–Mauchly Computer Corporation later worked on UNIVAC. John von Neumann is usually mentioned in connection with the stored-program architecture that followed. Because ENIAC is consistently associated with Eckert and Mauchly, checking any standard reference or memory aid confirms that these are the correct designers to choose.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:
Option B pairs John W. Mauchly with Jacquard, but Joseph-Marie Jacquard was a 19th century inventor known for the Jacquard loom and punched cards, not ENIAC. Option C pairs Eckert with John von Neumann, but while von Neumann influenced later designs, he is not credited as a co-designer of ENIAC. "None of the above" is incorrect because there is a well-established and widely accepted answer that matches the historical record.

Common Pitfalls:
Students sometimes confuse ENIAC with later computers or mix up the roles of different pioneers. Because von Neumann is famous in computer architecture, it is tempting to assume he designed every early computer. Another pitfall is forgetting that ENIAC came before widespread stored-program computers and was designed by a specific engineering team. To avoid confusion, remember the pairing "Eckert and Mauchly – ENIAC," which appears in many exam prep lists and is the key to answering this kind of question correctly.

Final Answer:
The first general-purpose electronic computer ENIAC was designed by J. Presper Eckert and John W. Mauchly.