A bit, or binary digit, can represent 2 values.

8 bits make a byte that can represent 256 values.

Suffixes are used to specify the number of bytes, as a power of 2.

1024 bytes make a KB (Kilobyte) .

Since 1000 and 1024 are close in size, one can approximate a KB with 1000.

1024 KB make a MB (Megabyte) (slightly more than a million).

1024 MB make a GB (Gigabyte) (about a billion, or thousand million).

A standard CD (Compact Disc) holds more than half a GB (i.e., 650 MB).

1024 GB make a TB (Terabyte) (about a trillion, or million million).

Since you waited this long to take the course (i.e., rather than, say, many years ago) you have additional suffixes to learn.

A standard DVD holds several GB.

During February, 2000, the US began using the space shuttle to map over 80% of the entire globe.

The data would take about 15,000 CD's, or about 7 to 10 TB (terabyte) of data.

1024 TB make a PB (Petabyte) (about a quadrillion).

Many years ago, companies such as Wal-Mart passed the PB (petabyte) size for databases.

Information about every purchase made at Wal-Mart ends up in a large database that is used in a variety of ways to improve the competitive position of Wal-Mart.

Other companies do much the same thing.

1024 PB make an EB (Exabyte) (about a quintillion).

1024 EB make a BB (Brontobyte) (about a sextillion).

25 questions omitted (login required)

8 acronyms omitted (login required)