Early digital technology came with both many advantages to analog but also had limitations. The first advantage was that it is precise. This is because digital relies on 0’s and 1’s, whereas analog has an infinite amount of possibilities which leads to errors. The earliest form of an analog computer was the Antikythera, which was used in Ancient Greece to predict astronomical positions. It was made up of bronze gears and a handle that would turn to calculate the stars position. It was centuries ahead of its time in terms of the technology and idea to invent such a device.
In the 1838, the telegraph was invented, which provided digital communication through dots and dashes. One of the major advantages was the speed in which you could communicate with others, especially over a long distance. Back when the telegraph was first invented, it took 12 days to mail a letter from London to New York. There was just a single button that was used, as it was determined that the digital method of having a single button with 0’s and 1’s was easier than a button for each letter. One drawback was that it required wires to be installed so the signal could be transferred through. This took time and money to install, as in 1858 the first transatlantic cable was introduced, allowing telegraphed messages to be sent from North America to Europe. Another limitation to the telegraph was that letters were the only thing that could be sent, not images or voices. A trained operator had to work the telegraph who could pick up on the letters as they came in to form the message being sent.
In modern times, digital cell phones provides us with “the world at our fingertips”. It has the capability to communicate with others like a telephone, send messages like a telegraph, and conduct calculations like the Antikythera, all on a screen that fits in your hand. It has evolved from all sorts of different inventions that came before us, bringing the world together in ways that were never even imaginable. However, a major drawback is that people are forgetting how to communicate with one another face-to-face and the over-reliance our society has on cell phones. If the cellular-grid was to lose power, then everyone would immediately go into a panic because we have become dependent to our phones. Another drawback is that digital technology is rapidly advancing with the ability to replace many job occupations that will save companies time and money. There are always advantages to new forms of digital technology, but new limitations and drawbacks are introduced as well.Â