GB

What is a Gigabyte?

Digital Storage Unit

Definition

A gigabyte (GB) is a unit of digital information equal to 1,000 megabytes (decimal) or 1,024 megabytes (binary). It is commonly used for storage capacity.

History

The term 'gigabyte' came into use in the 1980s as storage capacities grew. The first gigabyte-capacity hard drive was released by IBM in 1980.

Common Uses

  • Smartphone and computer storage
  • Video file sizes
  • Internet data plans
  • USB drive and memory card capacities

Fun Facts

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An hour of HD video is about 3-4 GB

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The human brain can store an estimated 2.5 petabytes (2.5 million GB)

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Netflix streaming uses about 1 GB per hour in standard definition

All Gigabyte Conversions