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| Convert from Byte to Megabyte (MB) |
Unit Definition (Byte) The Byte is a unit of information used in computer engineering. Technically the byte is a unit of addressable memory, and its size can vary depending on the machine or the computing language. However, in most contexts the byte is equal to 8 bits (or 1 octet). This means that a byte has 28 = 256 possible states. The unit was named by IBM engineer Werner Buchholz in 1956, and the 8-bit size was popularized shortly thereafter by IBM's System 360, a top-selling early mainframe computer. The spelling "byte" is used instead of "bite" in order to avoid confusion with the bit. Unit Definition (Megabyte (MB)) The Megabyte is a unit of information. It is very common in the computer world, but it is poorly defined. Often it means 1 000 000 bytes, but sometimes it means 220 = 1 048 576 bytes. As if that weren't confusing enough, the 1.44 megabytes stored on "high density" floppy disks are actually megabytes of 1 024 000 bytes each. This uncertainty is a major reason for the recent decision of the International Electrotechnical Commission to establish new binary prefixes for computer science.
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