[LINK] Is it Gb or GB?

Kim Holburn kim at holburn.net
Mon Nov 6 18:30:30 AEDT 2006


On 2006/Nov/06, at 6:07 PM, David Pedler wrote:

> We are having a debate over bits, nibbles, bytes and words.  If you  
> have
> a 10bit word can that be also called a byte.

No  a byte is 8 bits or perhaps a 010bit word but it's the same thing.
http://www.google.com/search?q=define%3Abyte

> I believe not, a byte is 8
> bits.
>
> Also is it GB for Gigabyte and Gb for Gigabit?  These days a lot of
> people use Gb for Gigabyte; I believe that is wrong too.
>
> Comments please?

Google.
http://www.google.com/search?q=Gb+gigabyte+gigabit

Generally among the cognoscenti GB = gigabytes and Gb is gigabits but  
everyone else probably ignores this.

Mind you there is a lively discussion about whether a KB is 1000  
bytes or 1024 bytes, a Megabyte is 1,000,000 bytes or 1,048,576 bytes  
etc.  It matters if you have to account for or be accounted for  
network traffic ;-)

My $0.02

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Kim Holburn
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