k Computing Abbreviation

Kilobyte

A kilobyte is 2 to the 10th power, or 1,024 bytes. "But doesn't 'kilo' mean one thousand?" you ask. Well yes, but in the computer world, certain rules and guidelines don't have the same influence they do in other areas of life. Just ask any computer programmer. A kilobyte is technically 1,024 bytes because it is measured by 2^10, which equals 1,024. However, kilobytes are often estimated as 10 to the 3rd power, or 1,000 bytes.