IBM 1130 User Manual page 93

Summary
This section has briefly covered some of the disk-
vs-card considerations and attempted to give general
guidelines for making this decision. It would be
ideal if these factors could be presented in the form
of a decision table, score sheet, or other device,
but this is not possible. Lacking such a tool, you
must study each data file, mull over the pros and
cons of disk or cards, and make your own decisions.
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Some companies (especially those installing their
first data processing system), realizing that their
files fall on the borderline, decide to start with card
data files. Their reasoning is correct: The system
may be less sophisticated and require more machine
and operator time, but it is easier to program, use,
and understand. Later, if they decide that a certain
file should be placed on the disk, it is relatively
simple to make the change. The bugs in the system
have been ironed out, the programmers are more
experienced and confident, and the general atmos-
phere is more conducive to such a step.