abacus old-fashioned cash register (with gears and handle) gear-driven clocks/watches ---- Actually the above are examples of mechanical computers, not analog computers. Analog computers use continually variable quantities. An abacus uses discrete units of measurement and is digital, though not binary. A slide rule is an example of a simple mechanical analog computer. Another example is the Norden Bomb Sight. An ancient example is the astrolabe. More complex analog computers are programmable and can use fluid, mechanical, or electronically set values. There is a link below to an article on analog computers.
Included in this industry are digital computers, analog computers, and hybrid digital/analog computers.
At this time, no, most computers are digital. However from the 1930s through the 1960s analog computers probably did outnumber digital computers as they were generally smaller and less expensive than digital computers.
Victor Paschkis has written: 'Direct analog computers [by] Victor Paschkis [and] Frederick L. Ryder' -- subject(s): Engineering, Electronic data processing, Electronic analog computers, Electromechanical analogies 'Direct analog computers'
Hybrid computers are computers that exhibit features of analog computers and digital computers. The digital component normally serves as the controller and provides logical operations, while the analog component normally serves as a solver of differential equations.
built with the same level of technology, analog computers are always faster but less accurate than digital computers. however as little significant work on analog computers has been done since the 1980s, they currently significantly lag behind digital computers in speed.
analog computers
analog digital
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Hybrid computers are computers that exhibit features of analog computers and digital computers. The digital component normally serves as the controller and provides logical operations, while the analog component normally serves as a solver of differential equations.