Bit
Bit is an abbreviation for BInary digiT. A bit is the smallest unit of information in a memory card, PC etc. It can hold a single digit value of 0 or 1, different combinations of 0s or 1s form a binary number. A binary number forms instructions for chips and microprocessors that drive the personal computers. A combination of 8 consecutive Bits compose 1 Byte, 1 Byte = 8 Bits. Larger amounts of bits are indicated as Kilobits, Megabits and Gigabits. The above terms may be misleading since the exact amount of bits is not exactly what the terms are indicating. The correct conversions are listed below: 1 Kilobit (Kb) = 1 024 Bits 1 Megabit (Mb) = 1 048 576 Bits 1 Gigabit (Gb) = 1 073 741 824 Bits Bits are not often used for indicating the storage capacity of a memory card, on the other hand bits are used for indicating the transfer speed of a memory card or transfer speed in general. In some occasions transfer speed is called for Bit Rate which indicates the number of bits transmitted in a given amount of time, in this case in seconds. Mbps = Megabit per second Kbps = Kilobit per second Mostly the Mbps definition is used to indicate the transfer speed of a memory card and Kbps to indicate the bit rate. Apart from Mbps, transfer speed is also expressed in MB/sec and in X. This can be confusing and really hard to compare the different definitions with each other. A comprehensive table over the different transfer speed definitions and more information about transfer speed can be found in All Memory Cards data transfer speed and in our buying guide.