megabits and kilobits?

Robpol86 · Post by **Robpol86** » Wed Jun 25, 2003 3:23 pm

i always wondered about this

officially one Megabyte is 1024 kilobytes
but some harddrive manufactuers use the mathimatical meaning (instead of binary meaning) of kilo and Mega
so they make it 1 MB = 1000 kB

but its still 1 MB = 1024 kB

but thats bytes
what about bits?
i know 8 bits = 1 byte
so how many bits are in a kilobit?
is it 1000 or 1024 or something else?

Michael · Post by **Michael** » Wed Jun 25, 2003 3:49 pm

Kilobits are defined using the decimal number systems; therefore, a kilobit = 1000 bits.

Some sources incorrectly identify a kilobit as 1024 bits. A proper kilobit is 1000 bits.

insomica · Post by **insomica** » Wed Jun 25, 2003 4:47 pm

They try to make the harddrive seem bigger then it really is.

Michael · Post by **Michael** » Wed Jun 25, 2003 9:25 pm

It's not really that. Kilobits are a measure of network traffic, generally, and therefore just a measure of electrical impulses; hence, they traditionally use a decimal numbering system. Hard drives are not measured in bits, generally.

RansomedCaptive · Post by **RansomedCaptive** » Thu Jun 26, 2003 10:01 am

insomica wrote:They try to make the harddrive seem bigger then it really is.

actually, in saying 1 MB = 1000 kB they are saying it's smaller than it really is because it is actually equal to 1024kB (they are selling theirselves 24kB short in a sense).

in doing computing of sizes an all, you have to remember we are dealing with computers which operate in binary. so sizes are multiples of 2 (2^10 = 1024)

in regards to network traffic (particularly modems) speeds are given in bits to make them sound faster than they are.

56kbs * 1000 = 56,000 bps
56,000 bps / 8 bits per byte = 7000 bytes/sec
7000 bytes/sec / 1024 bytes per kilobyte = approx 6.35 kB/sec.

so, given the average user, which appears faster when written on a box 56kbs or 6.35kBs?

...that was a fun computer-math lesson

fuuucckkers · Post by **fuuucckkers** » Thu Jun 26, 2003 10:42 am

RansomedCaptive wrote:
insomica wrote:They try to make the harddrive seem bigger then it really is.
actually, in saying 1 MB = 1000 kB they are saying it's smaller than it really is because it is actually equal to 1024kB (they are selling theirselves 24kB short in a sense).

in doing computing of sizes an all, you have to remember we are dealing with computers which operate in binary. so sizes are multiples of 2 (2^10 = 1024)

in regards to network traffic (particularly modems) speeds are given in bits to make them sound faster than they are.

56kbs * 1000 = 56,000 bps
56,000 bps / 8 bits per byte = 7000 bytes/sec
7000 bytes/sec / 1024 bytes per kilobyte = approx 6.35 kB/sec.

so, given the average user, which appears faster when written on a box 56kbs or 6.35kBs?

...that was a fun computer-math lesson

Now I understand why Dial up speeds never exceeded an average of 4 or 5 kbps .. and to think I was capable of 56 kbps...

Damn their trickery!! Damn them to hell !!

Robpol86 · Post by **Robpol86** » Thu Jun 26, 2003 11:05 am

the odd thing is with my 56k modem. it connects around 48k. But this is the confusing part. I one was uploading at 12 kB/s (i think i had sw compression off). and it stayed at 12 kB/s for a long time. actually, it was like that until i got off. this sounds weird because its passing the FCC phone limitations and the modem limitation itself

Timelessblur · Post by **Timelessblur** » Thu Jun 26, 2003 1:30 pm

I had a 28.8 downlond on my old computer at 34Kps. Minds you I did have the code change on the modem where is was demandng the fast speed it could get. I only had that happen once and after I log off I never get any where near that speed again. I went back to the stander AOL speed of 1 -1.5 KPS

Michael · Post by **Michael** » Thu Jun 26, 2003 4:28 pm

RansomedCaptive wrote:in regards to network traffic (particularly modems) speeds are given in bits to make them sound faster than they are.

No, modems are given in bits because modems merely move data using electrical impulses, and a bit represents one electrical impulse.

Robpol86 · Post by **Robpol86** » Thu Jun 26, 2003 4:31 pm

the only reason theres "bytes" is so that humans can understand and read computer measurement easier. same as hexidecimal

RansomedCaptive · Post by **RansomedCaptive** » Thu Jun 26, 2003 8:25 pm

Michael wrote:
RansomedCaptive wrote:in regards to network traffic (particularly modems) speeds are given in bits to make them sound faster than they are.
No, modems are given in bits because modems merely move data using electrical impulses, and a bit represents one electrical impulse.

ok, you got me on that one... but you can't deny the bigger number does look better!

Michael · Post by **Michael** » Thu Jun 26, 2003 8:27 pm

Robpol86 wrote:the only reason theres "bytes" is so that humans can understand and read computer measurement easier. same as hexidecimal

No, it's because it takes one byte to make a character on a computer. Bytes aren't just a random measurement created by some board computer science major.

Robpol86 · Post by **Robpol86** » Fri Jun 27, 2003 11:15 am

oh yea....

now i feel like a dumbass... i guess i should sleep more than 5 hrs and stop drinking 2 bottles of vanilla coke

Timelessblur · Post by **Timelessblur** » Fri Jun 27, 2003 11:43 am

Robpol86 wrote:oh yea.... now i feel like a dumbass... i guess i should sleep more than 5 hrs and stop drinking 2 bottles of vanilla coke

5 hours of sleep that more than I get most of the time.

Michael · Post by **Michael** » Fri Jun 27, 2003 1:05 pm

Robpol86 wrote:...and stop drinking 2 bottles of vanilla coke

Well...at least that's safer than scotch.

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megabits and kilobits?

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