amos@nsta.UUCP (Amos Shapir) (07/20/87)
In article <142700011@tiger.UUCP> rjd@tiger.UUCP writes: > I HAVE AN IDEA!!! Lets look it up........ (turning pages on my Webster's): > >byte - n. [arbitrary formation, < BITE ] a string of binary digits, usually > eight, operated on as a basic unit by a digital computer. Keep reading! (at least in the edition I have): ... The term was formed by a shortened pronounciation of the words 'by eight'... So 8-bit bytes are more 'natural' somehow. -- Amos Shapir (My other cpu is a NS32532) National Semiconductor (Israel) 6 Maskit st. P.O.B. 3007, Herzlia 46104, Israel Tel. (972)52-522261 amos%nsta@nsc.com @{hplabs,pyramid,sun,decwrl} 34 48 E / 32 10 N
gwyn@brl-smoke.ARPA (Doug Gwyn ) (07/21/87)
In article <315@nsta.UUCP> amos%nsta@nsc.com (Amos Shapir) writes: >... The term was formed by a shortened pronounciation of the words 'by eight'... I doubt that very much!
zemon@felix.UUCP (Art Zemon) (07/24/87)
In article <6143@brl-smoke.ARPA> gwyn@brl.arpa (Doug Gwyn (VLD/VMB) <gwyn>) writes: >In article <315@nsta.UUCP> amos%nsta@nsc.com (Amos Shapir) writes: >>... The term was formed by a shortened pronounciation of the words 'by eight'... > >I doubt that very much! Me too. Particularly since my PDP-8 has two bytes per word. And the word on the PDP-8 is 12 bits long. -- -- Art Zemon FileNet Corporation Costa Mesa, California ...!hplabs!felix!zemon
root@cit5.oz (Admin) (07/31/87)
I looked up the "Collins English Dictionary - Australian Edition" and the definition provided is..... byte n. Computer technol. 1. a sequence of bits, usually six or eight, processed as a single unit of information. 2. the storage space in a memory or other storage device that is allocated to one character. 3. a subdivision of a word. [C20: probably a blend of BIT + BITE] As everyone can see, the definition really depends on the "opinion" of the author(s) of the dictionary, as it does on the "opinion" of various computer people. :-) Steve.