Difference between revisions of "Byte"
From Computer History Wiki
m (+cat) |
(also networks) |
||
| (One intermediate revision by the same user not shown) | |||
| Line 1: | Line 1: | ||
| − | A '''byte''' | + | A '''byte''' was originally defined as the smallest unit of data which a given computer could handle. Modern computers and [[data network]] [[protocol]]s typically only support bytes which are 8 [[bit]]s wide. Older machines, with [[word]] sizes which were not a multiple of 8 bits, often supported byte sizes other than 8 - e.g. 6-bit bytes, on 36-bit machines. The standard abbreviation for 'byte' (e.g. in giving [[main memory]] sizes) is 'B'. |
| − | {{stub}} | + | {{semi-stub}} |
| + | |||
| + | ==See also== | ||
| + | |||
| + | * [[Octet]] | ||
[[Category: Basics]] | [[Category: Basics]] | ||
Latest revision as of 13:00, 28 April 2022
A byte was originally defined as the smallest unit of data which a given computer could handle. Modern computers and data network protocols typically only support bytes which are 8 bits wide. Older machines, with word sizes which were not a multiple of 8 bits, often supported byte sizes other than 8 - e.g. 6-bit bytes, on 36-bit machines. The standard abbreviation for 'byte' (e.g. in giving main memory sizes) is 'B'.
