heh ... way ... way before digital computers were invented, analog computers, mechanical, and electromechanical, were implemented. A great example is the compa

heh ... way ... way before digital computers were invented, analog computers, mechanical, and electromechanical, were implemented. A great example is the comparison circuit that keeps your house at nearly constant temperatures. It started out as a bimetallic stripe and a mercury switch to turn a furnace on or off. Electronic circuits, doing similar but more complex things came later. If you think about it, the fastest sorting algorithm is O(n) via a mechanical device. Parallel versions of these sorting mechanisms are used to bin fruits and vegetables for packing and shipping. They are all analog computers.