All industries have their fair share of jargon - and the technology industry is no different.  In fact, it is certainly one of the biggest offenders, even though just about everybody is on a computer these days.

With technology holding such a crucial role in our lives, there is a real need for consumers to understand this "tech talk" and have a working knowledge of its vocabulary.  This is especially true when it comes to measurements such as bytes, kilobytes, megabytes, and so on.

Here's a quick definition of each:

- A byte (B) is a digital unit of measurement used in the technology industry to express levels of storage, memory and also speed.

- Kilobyte (KB) is approximately 1,000 bytes (1,024B).

- Megabyte (MB)  generally equals 1,048KB (1,048,576B) for computer memory (RAM) or Processor, while it equates to roughly 1,000KB for computer/digital storage

- Gigabyte (GB) generally equals 1,000MB.

- Terabyte (TB) is worth 1,000GB.

As mentioned, these units of measurement can refer to different things.  Computer memory, or RAM (random access memory), is used by your computer to run applications and processes.  For example, when you use a program like Microsoft Word, your computer stores the information needed to run that program.  Every application and program you run uses RAM to improve processing speed.

Your computer's RAM is cleared every time you restart your system.  Computer storage on the other hand refers to how much information can be permanently stored on your computer.  All the programs installed and files saved use your computer's storage component.  This is why once you've installed a program you no longer need the disc to run it.

In addition to measuring memory and storage, the units mentioned here are also used to measure speed.  Data transfer rates refer to how many bits/bytes of information can be downloaded within a specified period of time.  Bahamas Telecommunications Company (BTC), for example, offers cell phone data speeds of up to 2Mb (megabit) per second for prepaid accounts and up to 8Mb (megabit) per second. Cable Bahamas offers Internet speeds to your home or business from 1Mb/s to 1Gb/s.

Here is a cheat sheet for processor or virtual storage conversions:

o 1024 bytes = 1 kilobyte

o 1024 kilobytes = 1 megabyte

o 1024 megabytes = 1 gigabyte

o 1024 gigabytes = 1 terabyte

o 1024 terabytes = 1 petabyte

Disk storage conversions:

o 1000 bytes = 1 kilobyte

o 1000 kilobytes = 1 megabyte

o 1000 megabytes = 1 gigabyte

o 1000 gigabytes = 1 terabyte

o 1000 terabytes = 1 petabyte

Learning the language of computers can feel daunting. But the more you understand how technology the works, the better your relationship.

o Online Edge is a weekly feature aiming to improve how you interact with technology. For more information on this article, you can send an email to customerservice@bahamaslocal.com, or call 676-2683. BahamasLocal.com is a user-friendly search engine with exclusive listings on business and community organizations in The Bahamas. It includes information pertaining to business, news, classifieds, movie listings and local events.

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