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From: henry@utzoo.UUCP (Henry Spencer)
Newsgroups: comp.lang.c,comp.std.internat
Subject: Re: What is a byte
Message-ID: <8404@utzoo.UUCP>
Date: Wed, 12-Aug-87 11:57:30 EDT
Article-I.D.: utzoo.8404
Posted: Wed Aug 12 11:57:30 1987
Date-Received: Wed, 12-Aug-87 11:57:30 EDT
References: <218@astra.necisa.oz> <142700010@tiger.UUCP> <2792@phri.UUCP>
Organization: U of Toronto Zoology
Lines: 17
Keywords: 32 bit bytes!  You ain't seen nothin', yet.

>	 8 bits - color

Surely you jest.  Any color-graphics type will tell you that you need at
least 24 bits, maybe 36 or 48. :-)

More seriously, your all-inclusive scheme falls down like this in several
areas.  8 bits may not be enough for a font size when things like fractional
sizes come in (yes, there are fractional sizes).  8 bits certainly is not
enough for a font in demanding applications -- ever looked at a font catalog?
Finally, it's not common to change things like color and font from one
character to the next (unless one is a Mac user intoxicated with the joy of
font changing, sigh...), so a lot of those bits are being wasted.  Better
to use some sort of font-switch (etc.) sequences, simultaneously giving
more compact coding and more flexibility.
-- 
Support sustained spaceflight: fight |  Henry Spencer @ U of Toronto Zoology
the soi-disant "Planetary Society"!  | {allegra,ihnp4,decvax,utai}!utzoo!henry