Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Path: utzoo!mnetor!uunet!seismo!sundc!hadron!netxcom!beattie From: beattie@netxcom.UUCP (Brian Beattie) Newsgroups: comp.unix.wizards Subject: Re: Size of SysV "block" (really: byte != 8 bits) Message-ID: <275@netxcom.UUCP> Date: Tue, 21-Jul-87 10:14:57 EDT Article-I.D.: netxcom.275 Posted: Tue Jul 21 10:14:57 1987 Date-Received: Thu, 23-Jul-87 04:04:07 EDT References: <218@astra.necisa.oz> <142700010@tiger.UUCP> <2792@phri.UUCP> <8315@utzoo.UUCP> Reply-To: beattie@netxcom.UUCP (Brian Beattie) Lines: 14 As I recall the term "byte" was coined by IBM for the 1401. The 1401 had a variable length word delimited by a "word mark". A "byte" was the smallest addresable object. Though usage it has come to mean the smallest object larger than 1 bit but less than a "word" that can be manipulated by the CPU (a word being the "natural object" of the CPU). PS. the 1401 had a 8bit byte. -- ----------------------------------------------------------------------- Brian Beattie | Phone: (703)749-2365 NetExpress Communications, Inc. | uucp: seismo!sundc!netxcom!beattie 1953 Gallows Road, Suite 300 | Vienna,VA 22180 |