>>> On Thu, 2001-03-22, marco.cimarosti 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?
When it is 6 bits or 12 bits or 16 bits or 18 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]...
That's what you (& OED) get for relying on Ill-Begotten Monstrosities
for your definitions.
To those maroons a queue is a "spool" because their systems were
so primitive they had to put all files to be printed onto mag-tape,
then have the operator physically move the mag-tape to a drive on
another system that could do printing.
On Control Data Cybers (designed by Seymour Cray) a byte was either
6 bits or 12 bits, depending on context, and the fundamental definition
of byte was the number of bits needed to represent a character.
It's only been recently that people have resorted to the clearer,
less baggage-perverted term "octet" to be exactly 8 bits regardless
of the system, and then speak of the number of octets needed to
represent something (e.g. an IP or character).
John G. Otto Nisus Software, Engineering
www.infoclick.com www.mathhelp.com www.nisus.com software4usa.com
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My opinions are probably not those of Nisus Software, Inc.
