ConverTable Units - 2.5

is referring to the "Computer Memory" category in ConverTable Units, and specifically, the question of "how many bytes are in a kilobyte/megabyte/etc.?" Historically a kilobyte has been 1024 bytes (the MacOS, Windows, and memory chips use this kilobyte). More recently some sources call it 1000 bytes. (Notably hard drive makers-- a 1000 byte kilobyte makes the "gigabyte" a bit smaller so the drive's reported capacity in gigabytes becomes a bit larger.) Computer scientists rounded off the nearest power of 2 to 1000 (2^10=1024) and started using the "kilo-" prefix for a binary system based on powers of 2, rather than the powers of 10 metric system which the prefix "kilo-" is properly part of. ConverTable Units has, since version 1.9, included both definitions of the kilobyte, because clearly both are in use today. We call 1000 bytes a "kilobyte" (in line with the metric prefix) and 1024 bytes a "kilobyte-binary". This is not an "invented" unit to be dishonest or create confusion; it is a label to differentiate between two otherwise identically named "kilobytes" in a menu! The standards picarule refers to say that one should call 1000 bytes "kilobyte" (as ConverTable Units does) and 1024 bytes "kibibyte". This avoids the current confusion of having the "kilo-" prefix indicating a multiple other than 1000. However, these new prefixes are not well known or in wide use today. (Apple doesn't even use the prefixes in the MacOS.) Despite what picarule claims, we do mention these standards, in three places in fact: ConverTable Units' Read Me file, the Available Units file, and ConverTable Units' built-in help. Further, the binary multiple kibibyte, mebibyte, etc. terms are available as a plug-in for registered users, and have been since version 1.9, posted on January 7, 2002.