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Why the computer start with 8 bit?

Updated: 11/11/2022
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13y ago

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It didn't, early computers had a very wide range of word and character sizes many machines were decimal so their word/character sizes were defined in decimal digits not binary bits. Even microprocessors the first commercial microprocessor the Intel 4004 was a 4 bit not 8 bit machine. The 8 bit byte as a standard only originated in 1964 with the IBM System/360.

Some examples of different computers of the past:

  • ABC: 50 bit binary words; no characters.
  • ENIAC: 10 digit decimal words; no characters.
  • IAS: 40 bit binary words; no characters.
  • UNIVAC 1: 12 character/digit decimal words; 1 digit characters.
  • IBM 701: 36/18 bit binary words; 6 bit characters.
  • IBM 702: variable length character/digit words; 1 digit (6 bit) characters.
  • UNIVAC 1101: 36 bit binary words; 6 bit characters.
  • IBM 650: 10 digit decimal words; 2 digit characters.
  • IBM 704: 36 bit binary words; 6 bit characters.
  • UNIVAC 1103: 36 bit binary words; 6 bit characters.
  • IBM 705: variable length character/digit words; 1 digit (6 bit) characters.
  • IBM 709: 36 bit binary words; 6 bit characters.
  • IBM 7090: 36 bit binary words; 6 bit characters.
  • IBM 1620: variable length decimal words; 2 digit characters.
  • IBM 1401: variable length character/digit words; 1 digit (6 bit) characters.
  • DEC PDP-1: 18 bit binary words; 6 bit characters.
  • IBM 7030: 64 bit binary words, variable length character/byte strings; variable length (4 to 8 bits) characters/bytes.
  • CDC 6600: 60 bit binary words; 6 bit characters.
  • DEC PDP-8: 12 bit binary words; 6 or 8 bit characters.
  • IBM System/360: 32 bit binary words, variable (up to 32 digits) length decimal words; 8 bit characters/bytes.
  • DEC PDP-10: 36 bit binary words; variable length (1 to 36 bits) characters.
  • UNIVAC 1110: 36 bit binary words; 6 or 9 bit characters/bytes.
  • etc.
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