What is the difference between digital and analogue computers?

The difference between an analog and digitial computer is the type of data they process. Analog computers process measured data. like the speedometer in your car A didgital computer processed descrete data (digits). In this case 0 and 1. Bits ... Digital computers are most common. A big difference is an analog computer's output can vary even if the input is identical. A digital computer can be very precise. For instance, a gas pump might tell you that you pumped in 5 gallons of gas but you could have gotten 4.99 gallons . If you asked a digital computer to add 5 and 6 together, you will always get 11. A gas pump is actually a type of computer. Although it processes measured data, that is how much fluid has passed through the gas hose, the data displayed to you, the amount of gas and how much you owe is in a digital format, not individual packets or bits of information.

Well there were Analog computers but thats been a long time ago, heres a good link for you if you really want to know.
http://www.vaxman.de/analog_computing/analog_computing.html

With quantum computer coming round it's likely the ove back to analogue will be possible as analogue is much more accurate and intensive which is why digital was prefered for the electronics age. lasers will be prefered for the coming quantum age

Digital Computers process data using discrete data "bits" (either a "1" or a "0"), while analogue computers process data using non-standard variable data such as amount of turns on a dial or some such.

The only true analogue computer ever built ("The Difference Engine") was designed in the early part of the 20th century but the engineering required wasn't available back then and was only completed (with minor corrections to fix design flaws) in the last ten years (or so).

There are many studies underway to design a more modern analogue computer using quantum mechanics to allow for more than two data states ("on" or "off") but a practical computer using these has yet to be designed.

Hope this helps.

I never heard of an analog computer. Digital means they operate using a binary calculation method of "digits," or switches - "0" for off and "1" for on. Everything being processed is broken down into states of off or on.

All computers are digital. They may just have analogue componants. Digital means it uses binary code (1s and 0s). Basically, something is on or off, just like a digital clock, but a computer uses a lot more (millions to billions or more at times).