Byte (B)
Definition: A byte (symbol: B) is a unit of digital information that most commonly consists of eight bits. It is the basic addressable element in many computer architectures. The byte is used to encode a single character of text.
History/origin: The term "byte" was coined by Werner Buchholz in 1956. It was originally defined as the number of bits needed to encode a single character of text, which was typically 6 to 9 bits. The 8-bit byte became the standard in the 1960s.
Current use: The byte is used globally to measure file sizes, storage capacity, and data transfer rates. It is the fundamental unit of digital information.
Kilobyte (KB)
Definition: A kilobyte (symbol: KB) is a multiple of the unit byte for digital information. The prefix kilo means 10^3 in the SI. Therefore, one kilobyte is one thousand bytes. In the binary system, one kilobyte is 1,024 bytes.
History/origin: The kilobyte was introduced as part of the metric system. It was originally defined as 1,000 bytes, but with the rise of computers, the binary definition of 1,024 bytes became more common.
Current use: The kilobyte is used to measure the size of small files, such as text documents and small images. It is also used to measure data transfer rates.