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Thread: Why 1024?

  1. Mar 29th, 2004, 10:20 PM #1
    alkatran
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    Why 1024?

    Why are there 1024 bytes in a kilobyte? I know that 2^10 is 1024, etc etc. But if you're counting the number of bytes, the number isn't restricted to powers of 2.

    Is it just so the computer can calculate filesize faster?
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  2. Mar 29th, 2004, 10:46 PM #2
    kedaman
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    a kilobyte is just a convention of specifying memory size, it just more convenient to use base 2 when talking about memory stored binarily
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  3. Mar 30th, 2004, 12:40 AM #3
    Dillinger4
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  4. Mar 30th, 2004, 03:18 AM #4
    wossname
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    1024 was chosen because it just happened to be the power of two nearest to 1000 which is the normal designation for Kilo (bytes, grams, tons etc...).

    Decimal (aka: base 10, radix 10) is completely arbitrary as far as computers are concerned, binary is gospel!
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  6. Mar 30th, 2004, 03:42 AM #5
    Wally Pipp
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    Err well :

    1000 bin : 8 dec.
    10000 bin : 16 dec.
    100000 bin : 32 dec.
    1000000 bin : 64 dec.
    10000000 bin : 128 dec.
    100000000 bin : 256 dec.
    1000000000 bin : 512 dec.
    10000000000 bin : 1024 dec.

    Seems to me that it's just a simple conversion matter
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  7. Mar 30th, 2004, 04:27 AM #6
    mendhak
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    Originally posted by Wally Pipp


    1000 bin : 8 dec.
    10000 bin : 16 dec.
    100000 bin : 32 dec.
    1000000 bin : 64 dec.
    10000000 bin : 128 dec.
    100000000 bin : 256 dec.
    1000000000 bin : 512 dec.
    10000000000 bin : 1024 dec.
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  8. Mar 30th, 2004, 04:36 AM #7
    Wally Pipp
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    Yeah and they couldn't find one bin laden let alone 100000000 of them
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  9. Mar 30th, 2004, 04:38 AM #8
    mendhak
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  11. Mar 30th, 2004, 05:07 AM #9
    wossname
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    Douglas Adams trivia (Ubergeek level)

    Ford and Arthur playing scrabble get "what is six multiplied by nine"? on the board. Douglas apparently didn't realise that in base 13 maths...

    (6)13 * (9)13 = (54)13 = (42)decimal

    How amazing is that? Douglas said later on "I am not in the habit of making jokes in base thirteen!"

    Just a weird coincidence? I rather think not



    (Read "The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy" if you don't know what I'm on about.)
    Last edited by wossname; Mar 30th, 2004 at 05:19 AM.
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  12. Mar 30th, 2004, 05:17 AM #10
    Wally Pipp
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    He really did find the answer to Life, the Universe and Everything.
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