Tim wrote:
On Sun, 2006-01-15 at 00:14 -0600, Jeff Vian wrote:
Kilo and Mega do mean 10^3 and 10^6 when using human terms (the
decimal system).
In the binary system Kilo means 1024 (2^10) and Mega means 1048576
(2^20 or 1024 * 1024).
This is far from misuse, simply a different mathematical numbering
system.
Just because an established practice of misuse has quite a lengthy
history to it does not detract from the point that it *is* a misuse of
the SI unit KILO (which only has one meaning) to use it for some other
purpose. It's a misunderstanding right from the start of the first
person who ever abused kilo in the computing fraternity.
Do we also abuse all other measurement systems to suit the whims of
computer nerds who can't understand the proper use of terms? Do we make
millimetres different on a PC than a ruler? Would a computer reading
MegaVolts at a power station come up with a different value than a meter
reading MegaVolts? It's for reasons like that, where kilo, mega, etc.,
have real meanings, that they shouldn't be perverted for other uses.
Kilo means one thousand, period!
But MB, KB, GB are not SI units. I think they're more like the words
millipede and centipede, which defy any strict mathematical meaning.
Greg
