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Groups > comp.programming > #2157
| Date | 2012-09-05 07:02 -0700 |
|---|---|
| From | Patricia Shanahan <pats@acm.org> |
| Newsgroups | comp.programming |
| Subject | Re: "word" |
| References | <4d0baa59-444e-4acf-b536-19c1799ae76c@googlegroups.com> |
| Message-ID | <iMidnWLBHfMaxtrNnZ2dnUVZ_qmdnZ2d@earthlink.com> (permalink) |
On 9/5/2012 6:38 AM, bob wrote: > Anyone know how it came to pass that a "word" is 16 bits? This was very confusing terminology for me when I was beginning. > > I remember thinking… a "word" of data? huh? > A word does not have to be 16 bits. In computer architecture terminology, it is the processor's natural unit of data. Typically, it is the size of a register and the width of certain communication paths. Most computers people see as computers (not embedded microcontrollers) now have 32 or 64 bit words. The original IBM PC did have a 16 bit word size, but even at that time there were many computers with a 32 bit word size, and some with bigger sizes. What I'm calling "the processor's natural unit of data" gets talked about so much in discussing computer architecture that it really needs a short, simple term. I don't see anything wrong with the choice of "word". Patricia
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"word" bob <bob@coolfone.comze.com> - 2012-09-05 06:38 -0700
Re: "word" "Dmitry A. Kazakov" <mailbox@dmitry-kazakov.de> - 2012-09-05 15:55 +0200
Re: "word" Patricia Shanahan <pats@acm.org> - 2012-09-05 07:02 -0700
Re: "word" Daniel Pitts <newsgroup.nospam@virtualinfinity.net> - 2012-09-05 09:34 -0700
Re: "word" Patricia Shanahan <pats@acm.org> - 2012-09-05 10:56 -0700
Re: "word" Anonymous <nobody@remailer.paranoici.org> - 2012-09-05 18:57 +0000
Re: "word" Ben Bacarisse <ben.usenet@bsb.me.uk> - 2012-09-05 23:23 +0100
Re: "word" "BartC" <bc@freeuk.com> - 2012-09-05 23:43 +0100
Re: "word" Rui Maciel <rui.maciel@gmail.com> - 2012-09-06 01:09 +0100
Re: "word" Robert Wessel <robertwessel2@yahoo.com> - 2012-09-05 22:03 -0500
Re: "word" "BartC" <bc@freeuk.com> - 2012-09-06 11:02 +0100
Re: "word" Robert Wessel <robertwessel2@yahoo.com> - 2012-09-06 11:31 -0500
Re: "word" Robert Wessel <robertwessel2@yahoo.com> - 2012-09-05 21:38 -0500
Re: "word" Robin Vowels <robin.vowels@gmail.com> - 2012-09-10 05:40 -0700
Re: "word" rossum <rossum48@coldmail.com> - 2012-09-06 11:30 +0100
Re: "word" Ben Bacarisse <ben.usenet@bsb.me.uk> - 2012-09-05 21:40 +0100
Re: "word" Jongware <jongware@no-spam.plz> - 2012-09-07 16:26 +0200
Re: "word" Robin Vowels <robin.vowels@gmail.com> - 2012-09-11 03:34 -0700
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