Post 9tCmignxwDF1M0kHsO by mmezo@fosstodon.org
 (DIR) More posts by mmezo@fosstodon.org
 (DIR) Post #9tCOifRkaeyaF1oMGe by codesections@fosstodon.org
       2020-03-20T12:51:30Z
       
       0 likes, 1 repeats
       
       #todayILearned that the unit I typically call a megabyte (equal to 2^20 bytes) is technically a mebibyte. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MebibyteI knew about the distinction between metric-style bytes (1 kilobyte=1,000 bytes) vs binary-style ones (1 kilobyte=1,024 bytes).  But I always thought they shared the same term – just like a oz. of gold and an oz. of water share the same term, but have different meanings.But, nope, turns out there's a (not-widely used) term instead.  News to me, anyway!
       
 (DIR) Post #9tCPWPAhNHnMFDYHr6 by Matter@fosstodon.org
       2020-03-20T13:00:18Z
       
       0 likes, 0 repeats
       
       @codesections I hate that this is a thing, it has caused me a good deal of confusion.
       
 (DIR) Post #9tCPagdaNXMPZY6bAm by penguin42@mastodon.org.uk
       2020-03-20T13:01:20Z
       
       0 likes, 0 repeats
       
       @codesections They *DID* share the same term, until the Mebi's got defined long after I was perfectly comfortable saying Mega for them all.(Note that here a oz of water and an oz of gold are exactly the same thing; unless that is you were going to specify a fluid oz for your water....or you could just use SI units!)
       
 (DIR) Post #9tCPvPDoKDGddivets by codesections@fosstodon.org
       2020-03-20T13:04:42Z
       
       0 likes, 0 repeats
       
       @penguin42 > Note that here a oz of water and an oz of gold are exactly the same thingInteresting.  Does the "here" in question not use troy ounces for gold or does it use troy ounces for everything?
       
 (DIR) Post #9tCQ5NHkNbcYWtWWps by penguin42@mastodon.org.uk
       2020-03-20T13:06:53Z
       
       0 likes, 0 repeats
       
       @codesections oh hmm; it uses grams mostly :-)  I've not thought about troy ounces to be honest.Mebi really started coming in after HD manufacturers started gouging customers by shrinking their MiB drives to MB
       
 (DIR) Post #9tCSrPfH2HzTiYYvJo by rune@mastodon.nzoss.nz
       2020-03-20T13:37:43Z
       
       0 likes, 0 repeats
       
       @codesections You're not alone.Take any tool that lists byte sizes with a prefix and half of them ignore that SI exists (by using MB for MiB) while the rest use MB to mean the SI prefix.It's not even uncommon for the same tool to mix the two conventions.At this point I know the difference, but I can't use the information for anything, because I don't know if the tool is using the same convention as I am.I just live with the expectation that any size on my computer is ~10% incorrect.
       
 (DIR) Post #9tCYxUgrrYUulcagjI by nebunez@fosstodon.org
       2020-03-20T14:46:16Z
       
       0 likes, 0 repeats
       
       @penguin42 @codesections I always thought it was the ISPs' price gouging that made the distinction more prominent, but HD manufacturers makes sense.
       
 (DIR) Post #9tCaOitvEhxQc5FE6y by penguin42@mastodon.org.uk
       2020-03-20T15:02:25Z
       
       0 likes, 0 repeats
       
       @nebunez @codesections There's sense to some of it - the 2^ measurements made sense for DRAM arrays when they really are square arrays of transistors decoded from address lines; that's actually very different from a HD where it's bits/inch or a cable where it's bits/second and there's no real power of two connection.
       
 (DIR) Post #9tCmignxwDF1M0kHsO by mmezo@fosstodon.org
       2020-03-20T17:20:07Z
       
       0 likes, 0 repeats
       
       @codesectionsYou might note that, what you call a binary-style kilobyte (1024 bytes) is also officially called "kibibyte", and not kilobyte anymore. On the same line there are also gibibytes, tebibytes and pebibytes. (And the same thing with bits.)