View Full Version : File sizes
PHoney
Jan 2, 2008, 07:39 PM
How many bytes are there in a MB, GB, and KB? Which is largest/smallest and by how much?
biggsie
Jan 2, 2008, 08:03 PM
WikiAnswers - What is a megabyte (http://wiki.answers.com/Q/What_is_a_megabyte)
8 bits = 1 Byte
1,000 Bytes = 1 Kilo Byte
1,000,000 Bytes = 1 Mega Byte
1,000,000,000 Bytes = 1 Giga Byte
donf
Jan 3, 2008, 08:40 AM
Biggie,
Close but no cigar.
8 bits in a byte (two nibbles), 1,024 in 1 Kilo bytes. 1,024,000 in 1 Meg and 1,024,000,000 in a Gigabyte.
A byte is made up of two nibbles. Low and High.
A bit is the smallest partial unit. Next is a nibble, followed by a byte then you move to a kilo, meg, and finally gig. The highest block size that is available on some units is a terabyte.
biggsie
Jan 3, 2008, 09:14 AM
donf
Close but no CIGAR
(1,024 B) 1 KB
(1,048,576 B) 1,000 KB 1 MB
(1,073,741,824 B) 1,000,000 KB 1,000 MB 1 G
1,000,000,000,000 B 1,000,000,000 KB 1,000,000 MB 1,000 G 1 Terabyte
Seems your sorce is incorrect -- Your welcome
donf
Jan 3, 2008, 09:27 AM
Biggsie,
Okay, the gauntlet is down, :) what is your source for the bad information?
Show me yours and I'll show you mine.
BTW I don't smoke, so can we make mine pretzels instead of cigars?
Also, the 024 increases by 10 fold with every step to the left.
NeedKarma
Jan 3, 2008, 09:28 AM
When a Byte is not a Byte (http://compreviews.about.com/od/storage/a/ActualHDSizes.htm)
Bits, Bytes and Prefixes.
All computer data is stored in a binary format as either a one or zero. Eight of these bits together for the most commonly referred to item in computing, the byte. The various amounts of storage capacity are referred by a prefix to represent a specific amount, similar to the metric prefixes.
zSB(3,3)
Since all computers are based on binary math, these prefixes represent base 2 amounts. Each level is an increment of 2 to the 10th power or 1,024. The common prefixes are as follows:
Kilobyte (KB) = 1,024 Bytes
MegaByte (MB) = 1,024 Kilobytes or 1,048,576 Bytes
Gigabyte (GB) = 1,024 Megabytes or 1,073,741,824 Bytes
Terabyte (TB) = 1,024 Gigabytes or 1,099,511,627,776 Bytes This is very important information because when a computer operating system or program reports the available space on a drive, it is going to report the overall total of available bytes or reference them by one of the prefixes. So, an OS reporting a total space of 70.4 GB actually has around 75,591,424,409 Bytes of storage space.
Advertised vs. Actual
Since consumers don't think in base 2 mathematics, manufacturers decided to rate most drive capacities based on the standard base 10 numbers we are all familiar with. Therefore, one Megabyte equals one million bytes while one Gigabyte equals one billion bytes. This isn't too much of a problem with fairly small numbers such as a Kilobyte, but each level of increase in the prefix also increased the total discrepancy of the actual space compared to the advertised space.
Here is a quick reference to show the amount that the actual values differ compared to the advertised for each common referenced value:
Megabyte Difference = 48,576 Bytes
Gigabyte Difference = 73,741,824 Bytes
Terabyte Difference = 99,511,627,776 Bytes
donf
Jan 3, 2008, 09:32 AM
Biggsie,
Here you go,
A memory capacity of 1G bytes = 1,024M bytes, 1M bytes = 1,024K bytes, 1K bytes = 1,024 bytes. 1K bytes is not equal to 1000 bytes. This is because the calculation is in binary (2 to the tenth power = 1,024).
ScottGem
Jan 3, 2008, 09:36 AM
Whoa, back in your corners gentlemen. You are both partially correct. The prefix kilo means 1000, the prefix mega means 1000 Kilos or one million. The prefix giga means 1000 Megas or 1 billion and the prefix tera means 1000 gigas or 1 trillion.
However, because a bit is a binary digit and a byte is 8 bits, then all these numbers have to be evenly divisable by 8. So the totally accurate equivalents are what Need posted (1k=1024 bytes, etc.). But in common usage 1 K is a 1000.
So shake hands and come out smiling ;)
donf
Jan 3, 2008, 05:10 PM
Biggsie,
I wasn't fighting with you as in anger. I was play arguing, that's the reason for the happy face.
As to you quitting smoking, Here's 30 years of congrats to you. :)