>
> On Thu, 22 Mar 2001, [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote:
>
>> Better if you also keep the distinction between "octet" (a series of
>> 8 bits) and "byte" (a series of n bits, where n is often but NOT
>> always 8).
>
> When is a byte not eight bits?
>
The Web version of the Oxford English Dictionary (http://dictionary.oed.com)
says a byte is always eight bits:
"A group of eight consecutive bits operated on as a unit in a computer."
1964 BLAAUW & BROOKS in IBM Systems Jrnl. III. 122 An 8-bit unit of
information is fundamental to most of the formats [of the System/360]. A
consecutive group of n such units constitutes a field of length n.
Fixed-length fields of length one, two, four, and eight are termed bytes,
halfwords, words, and double words respectively. 1964 IBM Jrnl. Res. &
Developm. VIII. 97/1 When a byte of data appears from an I/O device, the CPU
is seized, dumped, used and restored. 1967 P. A. STARK Digital Computer
Programming xix. 351 The normal operations in fixed point are done on four
bytes at a time. 1968 Dataweek 24 Jan. 1/1 Tape reading and writing is at
from 34,160 to 192,000 bytes per second.
> --
> Gaute Strokkenes http://www.srcf.ucam.org/~gs234/
> PEGGY FLEMING is stealing BASKET BALLS to feed the babies in VERMONT.
>
>
