At 09:17 PM 4/11/96 -0500, Sten Drescher wrote:
jim bell writes:
jb> At 06:29 PM 4/10/96 -0700, Simon Spero wrote:
No, bytes are no always 8 bits - some machines use(d) 9-bit bytes.
jb> I notice you gave no examples. Why is that?
As I recall, the Honeywell H6000 used 6-bit bytes and 36-bit (6 byte) words.
Here's the problem with this kind of counter-example: You do not explain whether or not these data structures were actually called "bytes" by the manufacturer, or whether the term "byte" was inflicted later on by people who didn't know better. Remember, in the absence of any name for a "6-bit data object" I'm sure the temptation was probably very strong to misuse a term, especially in hindsight. See, I do not challenge the fact that there were plenty of data objects of length other than 8-bits. The issue is whether or not the people back then actually believed that a correct, official usage of the term "byte" included lengths other than 8. Dmitri Vulis at least acknowledged that when he looked back into the documentation, he discovered that the term used for his counter-example was "character", not byte. How many other of these counter-examples would show this kind of thing?