this post was submitted on 16 Aug 2024
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Absolutely not comparable to floppy disks. The hands are a representation, not a technology. Technology-wise, most modern "analog" wristwatches are quartz, and therefore digital, not actually analog. Yet we choose to make them with hands because that provides a better representation of the passing of time.
It provides a familiar representation of the passing of time.
The reason is better is because a number on its own doesn't provide any representation whatsoever of the passing of time. It represents the current observed time, but it does nothing to represent graphically how much of the day is left.
The arguably best representation of the passing of time is a 24h analogue watch/clock, even if that has its own set of issues which make it a terrible way of displaying the current time.
Neither does an analog clock unless the arm is moving at a constant/smooth pace rather than jumping each second, which is not a given. The former at least in my experience is way more common and also fails to denote the passage of time as you describe it.
Edit: reading it again I misunderstood your intention. That being said I’m not sure the value of seeing “when the day ends” as if that info can’t be gleaned from a digital clock. This seems like a pretty specific need.
It goes beyond just showing what part of day you are in. Everything is reduced to angles. You don't have to do any math with numbers, just look how much the pointer has to move to see how much time is left until an event you are interested in, and you get to visually compare that angle with the entire half of a day to get an even better perception of the passage of time.
This is a lot of compromises to cater to a preferred short hand for a niche demand IMO
Wat.. that's not how that works. Quartz watches can be digital or analog but what matters is whether it has a digital display or analog hands.