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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.
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