FW: [LINK] Is it Gb or GB?

[Adam Todd]

At 05:21 PM 7/11/2006, John Clarke wrote:
>On Tue, Nov 07, 2006 at 04:03:54 +1100, Roger Clarke wrote:
> > At 15:21 +1100 7/11/06, Daniel Rose wrote:
> > >IIRC, bytes are only relevant inside a computer's circuit board.
> > >Architectures can use any number of bits for a byte, (or is that a
> > >word), seven was/is popular with some architectures.
> >
> > My memory is that the word 'byte' arose with the IBM 360 c. 1964, and
> > referred and always has referred specifically to an 8-bit block.  But
>
>No it hasn't.  I've heard of 6, 7, 8, 9 and 10 bit bytes.

Sure I can say the same, but it means nothing when you write code and shit 
bitwise!

>IIRC, the PDP-10 had a 36-bit word

"36 bit word" this is the key.  If it's a "word" it's generally 16 bits, 
unless it specifies the "bits" in the word.

>8-bit bytes have become the norm, but "octet" is still used in some
>standards to refer to 8-bits.  I don't know whether they still do, but
>back when I last had to use them, CCITT standards used "octet".

MMmm the octet!  Best confusion for most 8 bit coders!