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Seagate to compensate for GB confusion

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RandyT:
While I understand that there are fewer unique disk operating systems than there used to be in the old days, isn't a drive's usable capacity dependent upon the manner in which it is partitioned and managed by software?  Or is the claim stating that even before any of this is taken into consideration, the number of available bits present on the platters does not equal the claimed capacity?

BTW, it only takes one dirtbag company to start doing things like this to force every other company to do the same in order to be "competitive".  If you think this is bad, try to get a good handle on how many "HP" the motor in one of your power tools has.  Or how many "watts" your stereo can put out. There are real definitions for these units of measure, but they are mostly ignored in favor of a contrivance that falsely inflates the ratings.

*edit*

I like free tacos.  But you usually end up paying for them at Taco Bell, one way or the other.

ahofle:

--- Quote from: RandyT on October 29, 2007, 11:53:09 pm ---I like free tacos.  But you usually end up paying for them at Taco Bell, one way or the other.

--- End quote ---

 :laugh2: :laugh2:  :laugh2:

Tiger-Heli:
Back Off-Topic - Free Tacos Today!!!

--- Quote from: RandyT on October 29, 2007, 11:53:09 pm ---While I understand that there are fewer unique disk operating systems than there used to be in the old days, isn't a drive's usable capacity dependent upon the manner in which it is partitioned and managed by software?  Or is the claim stating that even before any of this is taken into consideration, the number of available bits present on the platters does not equal the claimed capacity?

--- End quote ---
Randy,

Usable capacity will indeed depend on format options (Fat16, FAT32, NTFS) and cluster size, even with the same OS, but that isn't what the lawsuit is addressing.

Windows and really the entire IT industry defines a GB as 1024 Kilobytes, and a Kilobyte as 1024 bytes (I hope I got that right.  So a 1GB drive equals 1048576 Bytes.

The HD Manufacturers have decided to define 1GB as 1,000,000 Bytes.  So when you buy your 300GB (their definition) drive and format it for Windows, Windows says you have 300*1,000,000/1048576=286 GB available (i.e. you lost 14GB.)  The drive manufacturers have always done this, but when drives were 3GB and you lost 140Mb it was a lot less noticeble.  Also, this is the total available capacity of the drive.  Cluster size will affect how much of that can be used, (and access time/fragmentation), but the total capacity is still the same.

Hope This Helps!!!

RandyT:
Thanks, that was what I was wondering.  I'm so used to not getting anywhere near the stated capacity in use that I never even think about what's on the box as anything other than an approximate (high) figure anyway.  That makes it hard for me to feel "gypped" in this situation, but I do feel all drive manufacturers should stick with one method and state what it is somewhere on the box.

RandyT

patrickl:
It would be easiest if everybody would use M for 1,000,000 and k for 1,000, but I guess that's just never gonna happen.

It's actually most confusing with CD discs and DVD's. Not exactly sure which is which, but IIRC some formats are measured in millions of byes and others in "megabytes".

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