Analog vs Digital devices, was Magnetics - test-drb@ccmp.vtda.org

9 Nov 2000

From: Mike Ford &lt;mikeford(a)socal.rr.com&gt;

...
 >> While the Norden bombsight was smaller, etc.,
it would be stretching it
...
 >>by a
>> large degree to compare it to a computer.. I'm fairly certain Allison
was
...
 >> referring to the Mark I...
>
>It's not stretching it at all to consider the Norden to be an analog
>computer.  I'm not really sure how it could be considered to be otherwise.
...

Its a single purpose device. Computers tend to be flexible. I would call it
...
 more of a calculator, or really a mechanical
compensator. 

Really wrong.  First calculator is a fixed program computer (mechanical
or otherwise)  And the lack of programability would certainly be
significant
for a large class of machines as to their status.

    We have machines (electronic, electrical, mechanical, water, air,
whatever)
    that can:

        Perform repeated steps (cams, timers)
        Perfom compensating controls (servos, thermostats)
        Perform a calcuation based on several variables
            Subgroup fixed program (calculators)
            Subgroup programable
                by wires, jumpers, cams, gears, relays, roms
                    (calculators, embedded computers)
                Variable program ("true computers", programable
calculators)

See the linkage, as soon as the system takes on multiple variables and
procudes
a results based on them we are doing calculation...  Computing is just a
different
name.

Oh, the example I posted was written with Norden Bombsight, Mark-1A and
most any other tool used to calculate ballistic trajectories.

Allison