Expanding on my message.
I understand decimal, hex and binary, that computers today use hex because
four bits (a nibble or half a byte) has sixteen possible conditions 0-F,
and that a byte has eight bits (two nibbles), a two digit hex number (00
thru FF). Words can be several multiples of a byte.
My point is that there are two definitions of Kilobytes. In one a
Kilobyte=1000bytes, in the other a Kilobyte=1054bytes and this dichotomy is
used to cheat people.
If one describes a hard drive using the KB as equaling 1000bytes one can
come up with a slightly higher capacity number than if one used the KB as
equaling 1054bytes definition, thereby representing the hard drive one is
touting has a larger capacity than the competitions' product when in fact
it is the same. This is "Puffery": not quite illegal BS.
End of Soap Box...
Norm
S/V Bandersnatch
Lying Julington Creek
30 07.695N 081 38.484W
> [Original Message]
> From: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
> To: <[email protected]>
> Date: 11/23/2008 4:32:29 PM
> Subject: Re: [Liveaboard] K and milli
>
> >
> > Yes, using Kbytes=1000 bytes is called Puffery, used by sellers to make
> > their stuff look more valuable than it is.
> >
> > Norm
>
> REPLY
> Not so!
> It is based on the fact early computers used octal numbering instead of
> the decimal number system. This was simply a mathematical convenience to
> start with. Cobol and fortran used 8 bit words for coding. In fact so did
> Holorith punch cards. 8 columns of holes still fit a conventional office
> card that was used in those days.
> 8 x 8 = 64, 1024 /8 = 128 and any of the other numbers are also divisible
> by 8. 8 bits = one byte.
> Newer computers went to 16 bit words then 64 bit words. Encryptions are
> often 128 bit etc. Half a Gig of RAM is actually 512 bytes, divisible by 8
> as well.
>
> Just think if we had started with a hexidecimal numbering system. BUT God
> gave us five fingers on each hand, so we naturally learned to count to
> base ten and thus was born the decimal system. <VBG>
>
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