Re: Bad Metric ... 1k = 1024 or 1000?

[CUTblakeney@home.com (Jeff Blakeney)]

On Mon, 25 Oct 1999 13:18:43 -0500, Rubywand <rubywand@swbell.net>
wrote:

>     Whether some computer types like it or not, "k" means "1000" to millions
>of computer users and practically everyone else on Earth. When Windows or GS/OS
>or whatever tells a user how big a file is, "k" should mean 1000.

I don't think this is going to change any time soon.  The term kilo
when used to describe storage size of RAM, ROM or disks will always
refer to 1024.  Check your electronic spec sheets for a 256 kilobit
ROM chip.  Does that refer to a ROM that can hold 256,000 bits or one
that can hold 262,144 bits?  It is the later.

As some else in this thread mentioned, it would be pretty silly to
refer to my IIgs that has 8.125 MB of RAM as having 8.51968 MB of RAM.
My Pentium II has 64 MB of RAM but it sure would sound silly to say it
has 67.108864 MB of RAM.

You should only have to tell users this exception once and it is taken
care of.  Even if users do use 1000 instead of 1024, the approximation
this gives is close enough for most uses.  I do this myself just to
get a idea of the size.  If I want the exact result, I use a
calculator.  :-)

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