What Analogue Tool Will You Never Abandon For Its Digital Counterpart?

16 responses to “What Analogue Tool Will You Never Abandon For Its Digital Counterpart?”

1. 

   Tegzilla

   February 4, 2011

   Seconded on the drawing. Even with my fancy schmancy tablet, I prefer to draw my lines with pencil and ink them by hand. I then scan and do edits and colouring on the tablet.

   My absolute favourite analogue tool is my notebook! It is a rough diary, to-do list, and many other lists and memos to myself. I couldn’t live without it!

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   1. 

      Hung-Su Nguyen

      February 7, 2011

      I agree on drawing, though not on inking. Mainly because the inking tools in photoshop are just so fantastic, and can be erased if there’s an error, unlike physical ink!

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2. 

   Steve

   February 4, 2011

   A watch. Digital watches are for dorks.

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   1. 

      Elly Hart

      February 4, 2011

      I can’t read digital watches. I need a face to visualise the time. Is that odd?

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      1. 

         Brendan

         February 4, 2011

         Whilst I can use both, I find it significantly easier to allocate time/plan a head using an Analogue watch/clock.

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   2. 

      Sam Cook

      February 4, 2011

      Seconded.

      @Elly: I can understand how you’d prefer an analogue watch face, and you might not immediately rationalize “9.43am” to be “quarter-to-ten” but surely you CAN read what they say? I mean the standard seven-segment display has been used everywhere (ie petrol bowsers) for a few decades now.

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3. 

   Trent

   February 4, 2011

   Scissors and glue- the best copy and paste tools every!!!

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   1. 

      Ha

      February 4, 2011

      Cut and paste I think you’ll find 😉

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4. 

   topcat

   February 4, 2011

   My really cheap pocket diary: it sits in my top pocket along with a pen! Diary doesn’t require a password, doesn’t need charging, easy to archive (at the end of the year throw in drawer after copying info to new diary), doesn’t disturb people like bloody mobile phones, very low value (around $1) so losing/destroying is not an issue, quicker to access than devices, can be used to kill flies, and at a pinch I always have a supply of toilet paper handy.

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5. 

   lostincanberra

   February 4, 2011

   I’m with the notebook people – Whitelines or a Moleskine.

   I also use a fountain pen with my notebooks.

   Electronic lists (smartphone or not) don’t do it for me.

   …and yes, I prefer an analogue clock face. I’m not comfortable wearing a watch (or any form of jewellery for that matter).

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6. 

   astrogirl

   February 4, 2011

   Books. Physical books. I do read digitally – ebooks and comics on my imac and ipod – and I’m happy to do so when travelling, but real paper books with old paper and that old paper bookish smell is something I will never ever want give up.

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   1. 

      Belle

      February 5, 2011

      Double like-thumbs up-agree 🙂

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7. 

   James

   February 5, 2011

   I could never give up my record collection. MP3’s don’t come close to achieving what vinyl can.

   Plus there’s something satisfying about looking at a wall of music, as opposed to scrolling through digital album art.

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8. 

   Chris

   February 5, 2011

   Analogue controls:

   – Volume knobs on car stereos (unless you have a very good remote control such as is standard-fit on most Renaults)
   – The controls on my Smeg oven and hob. The clockwork timer is so intuitive it’s a wonder anyone bothers with digital timers.
   – The temperature selector on my iron. So much easier to use than its digital predecessor.

   …and I’ll echo the previous posters with books, magazines, pen and paper (although Livescribe does piggy-back the analogue to provide a good digital copy) and clocks.

   But there’s also things that will now be forever digital:
   Music, video, cordless and cellular phones spring to mind.

   And there’s things that will exist in both realms:
   Photography — we have digital and film bodies for our SLR.
   Spirit levels — my digital laser level and my traditional spirit levels both have a place in my shed.
   Communication — Skype, Social Networking, email, telephones and face-to-face are all deployed where appropriate.

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9. 

   Jhun Wong

   February 6, 2011

   Highlighter in my hand, Paper Document on the desk. Scrolling and scanning on a monitor is annoying. Trying to highlight with a mouse over a large document tedious.

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10. 

    Dougal

    February 6, 2011

    I much prefer an analogue speedo in my car to the flashing digital speed displays.

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