🚀 go-pugleaf

In article <0L3Sb.28740$qx2.3400569@stones.force9.net>, 
"John J. Burness" <JohnJBurnessAT@ieeDOT.org> wrote:
>Chuck Lapre wrote:
>> I installed my new Dimension XPs today.  The HD is supposed to be 120 GB.
>> Yet, the total size is listed as 111 GB.  Free space is 104 GB.
>> I was only going to pay for 80 GB.  This was an upgrade.
>> Is there a reasonable explanation, or did Dell mess up?
>
>You do HAVE a 120G HDD!!
>
>If you right-click on the Drive (within Explorer) do you get a total 
>size that exceeds 120,000,000,000? That is 120G (although I have seen 
>199,9xx,xxx,xxx which is NOT 120G but is "near enough").
>
>By definition, within EVERY International Standard:-
>1k = 1,000
>1M = 1,000k = 1,000,000
>1G = 1,000M = 1,000,000k = 1,000,000,000
>
>In the early days of Computing, simply because it was binary based & far 
>simpler to calculate, 1k was assumed to be 1,024 (in those days nobody 
>had ever thought about 1M, certainly it beyond any dreams to talk about 
>1G). The odd 24 bits were not worth bothering about!!
>
>In other words, a "slang", but technically incorrect, definition started 
>to be used.
>
>The consequence of the error (or mis-understanding) this creates is 
>guaranteed to confuse most people!
>
>Keeping it in strictly Computer Slang definitions
>1k = 1,024
>1M = 1,024 x 1,024 = 1,048,576
>1G = 1,024 x 1,024 x 1,024 = 1,073,741,824
>
>For a HDD that is correctly defined as 120G (i.e. 120,000,000,000) this 
>would be displayed as 111.7G.
>
>Incidentally, your original 80G HDD would have been displayed as 74.5G!

I actual fact I ran across three definitions of "gigabyte" when 
looking at some hard disk specs on my Dell Dimension 4100 the other 
day -- depending on which source was quoting the data.  

1. Dell itself defines GB as 1000^3 bytes for HDDs, IIRC.
2. Windows Explorer (Win ME) uses 1024^3 in "properties".
3. Device Manager uses a hybid, 1000^2*1024.

The 1000^3 definition seems to be used universally by manufacturers 
for HDDs these days.  Call it the "HDD GB".

The 1024^3 definition is used widely (always?) for memory. ("RAM GB".)

The hybrid definition(s) seem to apply at whim.  ("Mongrel GB". ;-)


Cheers, Phred.

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