From Psychology 2.0

Psy2: DigitalVsAnalog

Digital and analogue information

Digital means that information is translated to numbers. This results that the message can be divided in well-defined parts that have a clear value (e.g. 0/1, a..z, word etc.)

In analogue communication if you take two values, there is always a possibility to express a new value inbetween them.

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Compare digital vs. analogue clock: at the digital clock it shows exactly 12:24. The analogue clock (in theory) when it goes from the 24th minutes to 25th it goes proportionally with the time (see with red, dotted).


Another major difference: a digital message can not be partly processed: or it is fully processed or nothing. An analogue one is more diffuse: if you take out some information, that also might have a particular meaning (but less punctual).

For more exact information see Wikipedia:Digital resp. Wikipedia:Analog_signal

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Page last modified on September 17, 2008, at 01:56 PM EST