Bit vs byte and metric vs binary prefix
Everyone with a bit of computer science education knows the difference between a bit and a byte: 1 byte consists of 8 bits. For instance, this is a byte: 1001,1111. However, fewer people know how to actually write bits and bytes as units correctly. Here is a concise explanation:
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1 kb = 1,000 bits (1,000 binary digits) 1 Kib = 1,024 bits (1,024 binary digits) 1 kB = 1,000 bytes (8 × 1,000 = 8,000 bits) 1 KiB = 1,024 bytes (8 × 1,024 =8,192 bits) Mnemonic: Bit is smaller than byte, it has therefore a lower-case (small) letter. Notice that Internet providers use mostly metric bits (e.g. kb or Mb), since then they can claim they provide larger nominal connection speeds. For instance, 1 Mb/s = 1,000 kb/s = 125 kB/s = 122.07 KiB/s. |
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