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Old 09-09-2001, 04:59 AM   #5
mosquito
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Hmm mathematics in computers. That's fun. All numbers in bytes, megabytes.. are all powers of 2 because a computer only knows two numbers, 0 and 1.
So, here comes bits and bytes:
1 bit is a zero or a one.
1 byte = 8 bits or 2^3 (the ^ means 2 to the power 3)
1 kb = 1024 bits or 2^10 (kb means kilobit)
1 Kb = 1024 bytes or 2^10 (Kb means kilobyte)
1 Mbyte = 1024 Kbyte or 2^20 (Mbyte means Megabyte)
1 Gbyte = 1024 Mbyte or 2^30 (Gbyte means Gigabyte)
1 Tbyte = 1024 Gbyte or 2^40 (Tbyte means Terrabyte)
The numbers go higher than this, but this is what is in use nowadays. Do note that hard disk manufacturers usually use 1,000,000 bytes for 1Megabyte. So if they quote a disk as 20Gb you don't have 20Gb when you format the disk.

Now Mhz and Ghz:
1hz = one clockcycle per second of a processor
1Khz = 1,000 clockcycles per second
1Mhz = 1,000,000 clockcycles per second
1Ghz = 1,000,000,000 clockcycles per second
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