4.0412 Digital vs. Analog Watches (4/82)

Elaine Brennan & Allen Renear (EDITORS@BROWNVM.BITNET)
Thu, 23 Aug 90 20:54:08 EDT

Humanist Discussion Group, Vol. 4, No. 0412. Thursday, 23 Aug 1990.


(1) Date: Thu, 23 Aug 90 11:32 EST (27 lines)
From: Sarah Jones <SAAJONES@IUBACS>
Subject: Digital watches

(2) Date: Wed, 22 Aug 90 17:02 EDT (11 lines)
From: ALAN COOPER <ACOOPER@UCBEH>
Subject: Re: 4.0406 Digital vs. Analog Watches

(3) Date: Thu, 23 Aug 1990 8:30:02 GMT+0400 (29 lines)
From: LBJUDY@VMSA.technion.ac.il
Subject: digital watches

(4) Date: Wed, 22 Aug 90 16:34 EDT (15 lines)
From: <HANSCHKA@HARTFORD>
Subject: re: Digital -vs- Analog watches

(1) --------------------------------------------------------------------
Date: Thu, 23 Aug 90 11:32 EST
From: Sarah Jones <SAAJONES@IUBACS>
Subject: Digital watches

in response to S_RICHMOND@UTOROISE's comments (4.0401 "On Technology")

yes... There *is* something about digital watches vs. their analog
counterparts. I've long since given up on digital watches, and
refuse to trade my 17-year-old analog clock radio for any digital
variety.

I observed three behaviors in myself when I'd use a digital watch:
1) I'd glance at it to see the time and *never* remember what time
it was, even just seconds later. This seldom happens when I use
an analog watch.
2) I felt an irresistable urge to keep it in 24-hour mode. For some
reason, there was a great appeal for the process of translating
"14:45" into "2:45 in the afternoon"
3) On the other hand, it was a real pain to respond to other people's
requests for the time. I hated the urge to say "11:57" instead of
"almost noon", and I resented the effort it took NOT to say "11:57".


--Sarah SAAJONES@IUBACS.BITNET
sarah@grafted.UUCP

(2) --------------------------------------------------------------18----
Date: Wed, 22 Aug 90 17:02 EDT
From: ALAN COOPER <ACOOPER@UCBEH>
Subject: Re: 4.0406 Digital vs. Analog Watches (2/42)

The problem with wristwatches is not analog vs. digital, it's the quartz
crystal and multi-year battery life. You can't use "I forgot to wind
my watch this morning" as an excuse any more, and goodness knows we need
*more* plausible excuses, not fewer.

Alan Cooper
Hebrew Union College
(3) --------------------------------------------------------------34----
Date: Thu, 23 Aug 1990 8:30:02 GMT+0400
From: LBJUDY@VMSA.technion.ac.il
Subject: digital watches

Let me join the newly-forming club of those who refuse to wear digital
watches. My own reason is, firstly, practical: in order to know the time
you actually have to READ it, whereas with an analog watch all you need
to perceive is the pattern on the watch-face; it takes less time. Now my
conscience is shouting at me that the real reason is that I'm so darn
used to analog watches, and perceiving time through a digital watch is a
big change and over-40s don't like making changes. My own second reason
(steadfastly repressing the voice of my conscience) is that the things
are simply ugly. Since you have to read it, the numbers have to be big.
You can't make a small, elegant digital watch, and judging by current
market offerings, you can't make a SIMPLE, small, elegant one. They're
all bristling with little knobs, some of which have to be pricked in
order to consent to work, and almost all of which are there to give you
access to more than you ever wanted to know. They radiate (this is a
subjective judgement, I know I am hereby infuriating at least half my
audience, my apologies in advance!) -- they radiate the macho image,
they go with the metal studs on leather jackets. Perhaps that's why
teenagers love them (no, says my conscience, teenagers just aren't used
to analog ones). These random musings of course raise the possibility
that men find digital watches more attractive than women do, and perhaps
someone should collect data on the question, but Frank Dane has his
hands full with the unexpected results of one of my last attempts at
random musing, and I'm just about to go on vacation and anyway suspect
the idea would prove unfounded.
Judy Koren
(4) --------------------------------------------------------------20----
Date: Wed, 22 Aug 90 16:34 EDT
From: <HANSCHKA@HARTFORD>
Subject: re: Digital -vs- Analog watches

I usually wear a digital watch with a 24-hour clock setting. I happen
to like it, that's all. I also keep it set ten minutes fast; that way
I'm on time.;-) On the other hand, I also have a small collection of
analog watches, also set ten minutes fast. And to tell the truth, I've
never noticed a difference. Maybe it's because I've grown up using
both, or maybe it's that old leftie thing come back again.;-)

Just out of curiosity, what hands do folks out there wear their watches
on? And which hand do you write with? <things that make you say
"Hmmmmm.";-)>
Ruth