What type of computer requires that quantities be converted from analog to digital formats for processing?

Digital computers are designed to process data in a specific way that requires inputs to be in a digital format. Unlike analog computers, which operate directly on continuous data and can handle real-world signals such as temperature or speed as they are, digital computers work with discrete values. Therefore, for a digital computer to process any type of real-world information that is inherently continuous (like sound, light, or temperature), these quantities must first be converted from their analog forms into digital representations. This conversion allows the digital computer to perform mathematical operations and logical processing based on binary data.

In contrast, hybrid computers can perform both analog and digital processing, but they still rely on the digital format for digital operations. Quantum computers process information in a fundamentally different way, utilizing quantum bits; analog computers do not require such conversion as they work natively with continuous signals. Thus, the distinction lies in the need for digital formats to enable processing in digital computers.