Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Path: utzoo!mnetor!uunet!seismo!ut-sally!husc6!mit-eddie!ll-xn!ames!lll-lcc!pyramid!prls!mips!hansen From: hansen@mips.UUCP (Craig Hansen) Newsgroups: comp.arch Subject: Re: Size of SysV "block" (really: byte != 8 bits) Message-ID: <524@ollie.UUCP> Date: Thu, 16-Jul-87 14:12:31 EDT Article-I.D.: ollie.524 Posted: Thu Jul 16 14:12:31 1987 Date-Received: Sat, 18-Jul-87 13:46:43 EDT References: <218@astra.necisa.oz> <142700010@tiger.UUCP> <2792@phri.UUCP> <6705@steinmetz.steinmetz.UUCP> Lines: 23 Summary: no, 2 bits is a peck In article <6705@steinmetz.steinmetz.UUCP>, davidsen@steinmetz.steinmetz.UUCP (William E. Davidsen Jr) writes: > >In article <142700010@tiger.UUCP> rjd@tiger.UUCP writes: > >> O.K., I'll byte. (oops, pun initially unintended.) A byte IS eight bits!!! > >> Maybe you are thinking of a word?? And a nibble is four bits, and a gulp is > >> sixteen bits (or was this a mouthful?), etc.... > Let me clarify this: > 8 bits is a byte > 4 bits is a nybble > 2 bits is a tayste (actually 2 bits is a quarter) I had always heard 2 bits referred to as a "peck." A word is whatever you say it is, whether 12, 16, 18, 32, 36, or 64 bits. Has anyone seen a good name used for three 8-bit bytes? I've been using "tri-byte", but could see it being shortened to "trite" or "tryte." -- Craig Hansen Manager, Architecture Development MIPS Computer Systems, Inc. ...decwrl!mips!hansen