WD settles class-action suit over capacity

[The_Decryptor Veteran]

In computers a GB is 1024, because of how a computer counts, so its not wrong.

It doesn't matter how the computer counts, giga still means 10^9 (or 1,000,000,000).

Due to marketing and such in the beginning, they "twisted" the terms to be in binary, but that doesn't make them right, giga is still a decimal term (and as such, 200GB is 200,000,000,000 bytes).

And libertas83, i do know what binary is.

[Michael_C]

Why don't they all just make hard drives with the exact capacity advertised? Then everyone would be happy.

I have to admit is is a con. There drives don't actually offer the stated capacity, so they deserved this really.

You still don't even understand the issue...

How can you sue someone for using IEC standards? If anyone is in the wrong it is those misusing the term gigabyte(ie. most of the computer industry).

[libertas83]

Due to marketing and such in the beginning, they "twisted" the terms to be in binary, but that doesn't make them right, giga is still a decimal term (and as such, 200GB is 200,000,000,000 bytes).

And libertas83, i do know what binary is.

Do you think language does not change over time as new meanings can be attached to a word? The notation Hz, or Hertz comes from the last name of Heinrich Rudolf Hertz. Computer engineers created the term

kilo, mega, giga are prefixes that mean 1000. Since they are prefixes you combine it with a suffix and you get a new word. Combine kilo with byte and you know that bytes are base 2 math. Marketing didn't enter the picture with computer tech until PCs became as common as TVs.

If you a problem with this, then you should also have a problem with a device that allows you to "click" on your desktop. A mouse is an animal, however we call this clicking device a mouse. Is that wrong? No, its just progression of language. Computers are all about math and those who invented computers know math better than us. They didn't seem to have a problem with using kilo as prefix.

However, this argument has nothing to do with the lawsuit because this problem existed before the ISO created a new standard. Thus, hard drive manufacturers always intended to mislead people and the new standard creates a loophole for them. It does not negate their wrong doing.

[bkellner]

I own 10 Western Digital harddrives, or roughly 2.3tb throughout my four computers. I will not be opting for free software, just because some idiot decided to start a lawsuit against WD.

WD did nothing wrong, the guy was just out to get some quick cash on a technicality.

[Michael_C]

Computer engineers created the term

The Hertz unit was around long before computers...

[I am Reid]

This hurts my brain.

[libertas83]

The Hertz unit was around long before computers...

Sorry about that, I meant that computer engineers created the term bytes, but I was editing that sentence out and I accidently left that part in. Of course I know Hz was before computers, I looked up the full name so I saw the date. Darn Typos!

[nekrosoft13]

little of the topic

IBM Microdrive 340mb version was actually 340mb in Windows

is that true for all Microdrives? or only the 340mb version?

[strekship]

little of the topic

IBM Microdrive 340mb version was actually 340mb in Windows

is that true for all Microdrives? or only the 340mb version?

I don't know. Is that a flash drive? My 512mb flash drive shows a 511, and my 1GB drive shows 1023, i think. Of course, they lose space after being formatted.

[poorman]

The GiB (KiB, MiB, etc.) system was created to resolve this issue (e.g. a GB being 1000MB, but people think it's 1024MB)

The fact is though, a GB has always been 1000MB, just because sales people (in the beginning) got it wrong, doesn't make it any more of a valid system.

I agree. What the box says should only be the format capacity in GiB. I do all my pricing spreadsheets in GiB for user upgrades.