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From: mats@forbrk.UUCP (Mats Wichmann)
Newsgroups: comp.unix.wizards
Subject: Re: Size of SysV "block" (really: byte != 8 bits)
Message-ID: <358@forbrk.UUCP>
Date: Tue, 28-Jul-87 12:17:38 EDT
Article-I.D.: forbrk.358
Posted: Tue Jul 28 12:17:38 1987
Date-Received: Fri, 31-Jul-87 01:29:02 EDT
References: <8315@utzoo.UUCP>
Reply-To: mats@forbrk.UUCP (Mats Wichmann)
Organization: Fortune Systems / SCI Technology  (Berkeley, CA)
Lines: 20

>> 	On a DEC-10/20, for example, a byte can reasonably be anything from
>> 1 (0?) to 36 (35?) bits; 6, 7, and 9 bit bytes are all quite common...
>Another example worth mentioning is the BBN C/70 and its kin, which have
>10-bit bytes as I recall....There are also machines with 9-bit bytes, 
> although one seldom sees them in the Unix world.
>
>And then there's the PDP-8, where you get your choice of 12-bit bytes (ugh)
>or 6-bit bytes (ARGH)...

Old programmer #1: You think you had it tough? When I were learning to 
    program, all I had were bits. I had to tie them together with string 
    anytime I wanted to do something.

Old Programmer #2: Bits? You had bits? You had it easy! All we had were.....

    ...	...

Okay, guys, enough already. Please?

-mats