Byte (B)
Definition
The byte (symbol B) is a unit of digital information consisting of 8 bits. It is the standard addressable unit of memory in nearly all modern computer architectures and is the basis for file sizes, memory capacities, and network transfers measured in kilobytes, megabytes, and larger multiples.
History
The term byte was coined by Werner Buchholz in June 1956 while working on the IBM Stretch supercomputer. Early machines used bytes of various sizes; the 6-bit byte was common in the 1950s, and the 8-bit byte was popularized by the IBM System/360 in 1964 and became universal as personal computers spread in the 1970s.
IEC 80000-13 formally defines the byte as 8 bits and gives the symbol B. The decimal SI prefixes (kB, MB, GB) and the binary IEC prefixes (KiB, MiB, GiB) are both standardized, though decimal prefixes still appear with the binary meaning in some consumer contexts.
Standard reference
Defined by IEC 80000-13 (2008) as exactly 8 bits, symbol B. NIST also publishes the binary prefixes (KiB, MiB, GiB) at physics.nist.gov/cuu/Units/binary.html.
Common conversions
| 1 B | = 8 bits |
|---|---|
| = 0.001 KB | |
| = 0.0009765625 KiB |