Understanding Data Storage: Bits, Bytes, and Beyond

We generate quintillions of bytes of data every day. But what do these terms actually mean?

Bit vs. Byte

A 'bit' (b) is the smallest unit of data, a 0 or a 1. A 'byte' (B) consists of 8 bits. This is why internet speeds are often in megabits (Mbps) while file sizes are in Megabytes (MB). 8 Mbps internet downloads a 1 MB file in 1 second.

The Decimal vs. Binary Confusion

Hard drive manufacturers use decimal (1000 bytes = 1 KB), while Windows uses binary (1024 bytes = 1 KB). This is why your '1 TB' drive shows up as only 931 GB on your computer.