Re:Base Ten for Almost Everything
by brucedawson on Monday February 15, 2016 @06:50PM
(#11106957)
> If you want metric byte storage sizes, then
> first redefine a byte as 10 bits.
I think this is the funniest rationale for using base-2 that I have come across. It makes no sense.
Memory works conveniently with base-2 because of the address lines. n address lines can select 2^n addresses. The size of the bytes stored at those addresses is completely irrelevant.
Your logic would suggest that US gallons, which contain exactly 256 tablespoons, should use binary units, as in "%1010 gallons of gas please" or "that tanker truck can carry 11.3 KGallons (where K equals 1,024)".
Base-2 definitely works most neatly for memory capacity, because memory chips are exactly a power of two, always. There's no need to invoke the (irrelevant) size of the byte.
I think this is the funniest rationale for using base-2 that I have come across. It makes no sense.
Memory works conveniently with base-2 because of the address lines. n address lines can select 2^n addresses. The size of the bytes stored at those addresses is completely irrelevant.
Your logic would suggest that US gallons, which contain exactly 256 tablespoons, should use binary units, as in "%1010 gallons of gas please" or "that tanker truck can carry 11.3 KGallons (where K equals 1,024)".
Base-2 definitely works most neatly for memory capacity, because memory chips are exactly a power of two, always. There's no need to invoke the (irrelevant) size of the byte.