Computers have become a part of our lives to such an extent that we cannot imagine our lives without them. For all of our day-to-day activities computers are a must, but how much do we know about them?
For starters, everyone is familiar with the digital variant but do they know that there were Analogue computers long before the advent of their digital cousins. Also how are the two different?
Thus, the article will answer the main difference between Analog and Digital Computers. The topic will be useful in the GK segment of the government exams and the science and technology segment of the UPSC Exams.
Difference Between Analog and Digital Computers –Download PDF Here
What are analog and digital computers?
Before we understand the differences between analog and digital computers it is important to know what they are first.
1. Analog Computer: An analog computer system is a type of computer system that operates on the mathematical variables that consist of changeable physical quantities like mechanical, electrical etc.
These computers make use of continuous values in place of discrete values that generate an analog signal. Analog computers were in use during the 1950s-1960s which were in itself a successor to code-breaking machines used during World War II. Analog computers have a limited capacity in accepting and computing problems and may not always be accurate in their result.
2. Digital Computer: Digital computers are machines that employ a binary number system which has two digits only: 0 and 1. Using this binary system, many complicated tasks are undertaken. It processes the data represented in discrete and the main three components of digital computers are as follows:
- Input
- Processing
- Output
The first digital computer was designed for numerical computations during the 1940s and has made several advancements over the years. Digital computers have more accuracy than their analog counterparts as they are not dependent on physical quantities for task processing.
What is the difference between Analog and Digital Computers?
The difference between analog and digital computers are as follows:
| Difference Between Analog and Digital Computers | |
| Analog Computers | Digital Computers |
| Analog computers use continuous values or similar types of systems process continuous data. In other words it uses physical data to compute tasks | Digital computers use discrete values or to process discrete data. They use binary system to compute complicated tasks |
| Compared to digital computers, analog computers are slow in their task computation. | Digital Computer are fast when it comes to processing their tasks |
| Analog computers have low or limited public memory capacity and thus can only store less data. | Digital computers have large memory and thus are able to store large amounts of data. |
| Analog computers have no state. | Digital computers have On and Off these 2 steps. |
| Analog computers are not on the whole reliable as compare to digital computers | Digital computers are reliable and accurate than their analog counterparts |
| Its performance is comparatively low. | Its performance is very high. |
| Its speed of processing is not so high. | Its speed of processing is very high. |
| Analog computers are reliant on physical variations and inputs. | Digital computers neither employ nor use physical variations for its tasks. |
| The results provided by analog computers are not reliable as compared to their digital counterparts. | It provides results with higher accuracy as compared to analog computers. |
| Analog computers are extremely complicated to use | Digital computers are easy to use |
| Analog computers have complex architecture. | Digital computers do not have such complex architecture like analog computers. |
| Readability of analog computers is low. | The readability of digital computers is high. |
| Analog computers show the result in terms of voltage signals. | Digital computers show the result on the computer display screen. |
| Power consumption is high. | Power consumption is low. |
Frequently Asked Question about Difference between Analog and Digital Computer
What is meant by analog computer and digital computer?
Who invented the analogue computer?
What are examples of both analog and digital computers?
What are the types of digital computers?
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