I have trouble explaining what my job is when I am talking to people who do not “surf the web.” Fortunately, Charlie, over at ModernMechanix.com has posted an article from the June 1958 issue of Modern Mechanix, which explains all:
ELECTRONIC COMPUTERS – what they are and what they do
AUTOMATION has given new importance to electronic computers. From automatic factories to magazine subscriptions, they are becoming a part of our daily life. More applications are constantly being found for computers large and small.
There are two different types of computers: the digital, which uses numbers or digits, and the analog, which uses a measure, such as voltage, current, or angle of rotation.
While large-scale digital computers have captured the headlines, both types are important. Many more analog than digital computers are now in use although both analog and digital techniques are used in some computers. There are, however, striking differences between the two types. Each has applications where it is best suited; each has good features as well as disadvantages.
It’s worth the “read” just to see the pictures. 🙂
