> One example of an analog computer is a mechanical clock. It calculates that passage of time by means of springs, gears and an escapement that models the real

> One example of an analog computer is a mechanical clock. It calculates that passage of time by means of springs, gears and an escapement that models the real world. Many other examples include slide rules (yes, I'm that old), speedometers, spring or liquid thermometers, and more. What we call "computer" today is really a "general-purpose computer." Although, personally I think it's a stretch of semantics to call a mechanical clock a "computer."