Byte [B] to Kilobit [Kb] Converter

Definition: A byte is a unit of digital information that most commonly consists of eight bits. It is the fundamental unit of data storage and processing in most computer systems.

History/origin: The term 'byte' was coined by Werner Buchholz in 1956 during the early development of the IBM Stretch computer. It was originally intended to represent the number of bits used to encode a single character of text.

Current use: Bytes are used ubiquitously in computing to represent the size of files, storage capacity, and data transferred over networks. Larger units such as kilobytes, megabytes, gigabytes, and terabytes are multiples of the byte.

Definition: A kilobit (symbol: Kb or kbit) is a unit of information equal to 1000 bits. It is a multiple of the bit, which is the fundamental unit of data in computing and telecommunications.

History/origin: The kilobit is derived from the bit and utilizes the SI prefix 'kilo-' to denote a multiple of 1000. The term 'bit' was coined by Claude Shannon in the mid-20th century, while the use of prefixes like 'kilo-' for binary quantities became common in the early days of computing.

Current use: Kilobits are used to measure data transfer rates (e.g., modem speeds), storage capacities (for very small files), and data sizes. They are less commonly used today as larger units like megabits and gigabits have become more prevalent.