Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.

TheBonk

macrumors 6502
Original poster
May 22, 2007
304
68
Chicago
I'm totally confused with how formatted capacity works. People say that the computer reads 1GB as 1024MB, but manufacturers say 1GB is 1000MB. Wouldn't what the computer reads be more? You get 24 MB more in 1GB.

So wouldn't the formatted capacity be more?

I would appreciate it if someone could help me understand this.
 
skitched-20070826-154710.jpg


A little knowledge is a dangerous thing. :p

A computer considers 1GB = (1024)^3 bytes.

A hard drive actually has 1GB = 10^9 bytes.

So you have it sort of backwards. A byte is a byte. Each gigabyte on the hard disk is "shorted" by 1024^3 - 10^9 bytes, from the OS's perspective. So, if you have 160x10^9 bytes, you have a number smaller than 160GB in OS-speak. The number is 160GB x 10^9 / 1024^3.

Don't be too lazy. Write the algebra out for yourself. It's easy to see if you stop and write it out carefully.
 
I think I get it now. The computer thinks it needs more MB to have a full GB. So it eats up more of the space. While manufacturers think you need less MB you have a full GB.
 
I think I get it now. The computer thinks it needs more MB to have a full GB. So it eats up more of the space. While manufacturers think you need less MB you have a full GB.
The manufactures express storage in 10^x while actual data storage is in 2^x.
 
Register on MacRumors! This sidebar will go away, and you'll see fewer ads.