Putting the byte on a scale

Data has been a hot topic for more than a decade now as the accumulation of the good ol’ byte has increased exponentially. It’s not just the data itself that’s important, though. Storing, transferring, and securing the data are all important aspects of the information world.

It’s nearly unfathomable to put all of the different degrees of data into full perspective. There was a time not too long ago when everything was measured in kilobytes. Megabytes became the necessary scale in the 1990s as the programs and methods of delivery outgrew their kilobyte heritage. Now, gigabytes and terabytes are the normal form of measurement for devices as data storage that one can fit into their pocket now encapsulates more data rooms of computers in the 1990s.

In this wonderful infographic by the BBC, we explore the difference scales in which data is stored and compare them to what they mean in more practical applications.