Byte: Difference between revisions
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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'.
