• HexesofVexes@lemmy.world
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    1 day ago

    So, to my limited knowledge, all digital storage is still based on the idea of a switch indicating a 0 or a 1. So, in terms of data storage, you’re using those switches and base 2 is imposed.

    You technically cannot build 1000MB of storage because your entire storage system is based 2. Being off by 24 isn’t great, but manageable. However…

    Let’s call a KB 1000 bytes, and 1MB 1000 KB: we end up 1MB as 1,000,000 bytes, and 1GB as 1,000,000,000 bytes rather than 1,073,741,824 bytes, ~7.4% off! This error compounds as we go up in units, and quickly leaves one so far from physical hardware as to question one’s sanity!

    The real reason for the change is likely to be a little darker - 1.1TB sounds better than 1TB when trying to sell storage (“we give 10% more!”).

      • HexesofVexes@lemmy.world
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        6 hours ago

        Good point, I was thinking in terms of addressing being base 2 - (so when you call a memory address you’re working in base 16 normally).

        Also that rather affirms the idea - selling less while disguising it as more seems a more likely genesis.