X-Message-Number: 8535
From: Andre Robatino <>
Subject: Re: CryoNet #8527 - #8532
Date: Thu, 4 Sep 97 10:43:23 EDT

> Message #8531
> From: Andre Robatino <>
> Subject: Re: CryoNet #8521 - #8526
> Date: Wed, 3 Sep 97 20:13:29 EDT
> 
> > Message #8521
> > Date: Tue, 2 Sep 1997 09:58:09 -0700 (PDT)
> > From: John K Clark <>
> > Subject: Analog Computing
> > 

<snip>

> inflexibility.  But this is solvable.  For an outline of how, see
> <http://www.nytimes.com/library/cyber/surf/050797mind.html> and the related
> links at the bottom of the page.  This should be possible to implement within

> a few years.  Also, greatly improved sensor technology will create more demand
> for computers which can interact with physical systems in real time.  Digital
> computation will generally be too slow for this, creating a large niche for
> analog computation.  Thus a major comeback for analog can be expected within
> 5-10 years.

  I should have mentioned an even better reason for expecting a large niche
for analog computing in the future.  Since digital computers are flexible, and
present analog computers aren't, digital has a huge cost advantage due to mass
production.  Thus many applications which are inherently analog, such as those
performed by many of the microprocessors in an automobile, are implemented
digitally anyway.  When analog computers become flexible, the playing field
will be even, and those applications which are inherently analog will actually
be implemented that way.  This will hold even if digital is capable of doing
the job.  It all rests on just solving that inflexibility problem, and starting
from where we are now, it's not that hard.

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