Hmmm, I'd never thought about that.

From their "about" page:

Gmail is a free, search-based webmail service that includes 1,000 megabytes (1 gigabyte) of storage.

So there's Google math in all its glory :P

Is GG about? This could do with remedying.

J.

This is one point where I actually agree with Google. Your average Joe in Podunk might think that...

"You are currently using 25 MB (2.5%) of your 1000 MB."

Is much easier to read than...

"You are currently using 0.025 GB (2.5%) of your 1.000 GB."

Even I can do the math in the first example, though I would like to see the comma in "1,000 MB" to make it even more legible.

In the second example most folks would use "1 GB". I drew it out to three decimal places to be consistent with the "0.025"; similarly, that has the leading "0" to keep it consistent with the leading "1" in "1.000 GB".

Just my $0.02.

<added>
Oops, forgot the main point: A gigabyte can be defined various ways; depending on usage either 1,000; 1,024; or 1,074 MB. So, G's 1,000 MB is actually okay.
</added>

LOL, I'll go along with that :)

Or maybe we could have

"You are currently using 25 MB (2.4%) of your 1 GB."?

J.

>Is GG about? This could do with remedying.

That was my point. If Google consistently called this a 1000 MB account, and never used "gigabyte" to describe it, then all would be OK. It is just that I expect Google, which is a company with lots of geeks, to use the term in the way that would be expected by geeks.

> which is a company with lots of geeks

LOL! But very true, they're going to get quite a few complaints from us external geeks otherwise!

people might actually think that 1,000 mb is a gigabyte instead of 1024 mb because that is how google shows it.

Google is just following the great tradition of mixing 1000 units with 1024 units, as popularised by whoever named a floppy disk's capacity as 1.44MB:

[physics.nist.gov...]

And when victor have you ever actually heard someone use the term "gibibyte"? Not only have I never heard it used by the common man, but also every geek I have known considers "gibibyte" absurd, and laughs at the notion. Basically, my impression of Google using 1000MB = 1 GB is to think "what a bunch of ignorant bozos." Looks to me like the suits have taken over at Google, and the geeks have been marginalized.

This was done in the name of user-friendliness. Technophobes will delight to know that your account actually holds 1,024 MB.

rfgdxm1 --- I'm not at all suggesting that anyone should use such terminology.

I am saying that Google is being consistent with a historical mixing of 1000s and 1024s as described in the "historical context" part of the link I quoted.

And I'm not suggesting that that confusion is a good thing. But it is an established linguist practice.

There have been several threads here about language drift. Some people are happy for language to change, others are only happy for it to change in ways they approve of. The second group is usually doomed to being disappointed by changes.

Yes, it all depends on who's doing the defining:

[google.com...]

One person's 1,000,000,000 bytes is another person's 1,024,000,000 bytes is another persons 1,073,741,824 bytes.

Maybe Google Calculators [google.com] should show all the possible answers of how many megabytes in a gigabyte.

regards,
Mark

if they are offering 1,000 mb, they are offering "almost" a gigabyte and not actually a gigabyte.

is the storage they offer actually 1,000 mb or 1,024 mb?

Check your hosts definition of GB, its always 1000MB when you're selling it ;)

>Check your hosts definition of GB, its always 1000MB when you're selling it

Incorrect. I know at least some Usenet providers sell an honest GB, as in a 1 GB account allows downloads of 1024 MB. And...I just checked my website host's control panel.

Date Domain Megabytes Gigabytes
Jun 2004 (removed) 2405.891407 2.349503

Dunno about your host, but if yours sells dishonest GBs, it isn't universal. Mine sells bandwidth by the gig, and they indeed really do know that 1 GB = 1024 MB.

>if they are offering 1,000 mb, they are offering "almost" a gigabyte and not actually a gigabyte.

>is the storage they offer actually 1,000 mb or 1,024 mb?

Fair point. I just asked that exact question of Google, sending it to postmaster@gmail.com from my Gmail account. I'll let you know what they respond.

if they are offering 1,000 mb, they are offering "almost" a gigabyte and not actually a gigabyte.

I am sure they would happily give you your money back, seeing as you have a valid math complaint. lol

:)

from gmail home page: -

Don't throw anything away.
1000 megabytes of free storage so you'll never need to delete another message.

I don't think they ever said you get a gigabyte.

edit: erm, ok they do if you search the help for gigabyte. Though they are even confused then if 1000MB is aGB or just close to it.

I have no problem with it, it's just telling me that I'm using less than 1%. When I pass that it will stay at 1% until I reach 2%. So they're rounding it out like they do TPR. It's a no brainer, which suits me perfectly.

Like they say, "If the shoe fits, wear it." ;)

Fair point. I just asked that exact question of Google, sending it to postmaster@gmail.com from my Gmail account. I'll let you know what they respond.

Please see my post:

This was done in the name of user-friendliness. Technophobes will delight to know that your account actually holds 1,024 MB.

Does anyone know if the account only holds 1,000MB or a full GB? Is this just a display feature that we are talking about?

>Does anyone know if the account only holds 1,000MB or a full GB? Is this just a display feature that we are talking about?

I haven't got a response back yet from the Gmail folks. However, another source within Google has indicated to me they believe that it is indeed 1024 MB. It wouldn't surprise me that it is even higher than that. Many e-mail providers intentionally have understated the true size of the box for customer satisfaction reasons. Such as people not noticing they hit the limit, and an e-mail from the boss to them bounces. :( Thus they just put a warning on the page "You are over the limit of your mailbox size. Please delete some items so that you are below the limit." However, even though you are over the stated limit, you'll still be able to receive e-mails for a while until you hit the real limit. With the e-mail box of Gmail being an astronomical 1000 MB, I doubt many people will ever come near the limit. To hit that limit would likely require someone frequently receive MP3s or such e-mailed to them AND never delete them after they have downloaded them locally.

Since we're being picky here, I'd like to say I'm more bitter about the use of the word "technophobes" .. shouldn't it be "technophiles"? ;)

Just make sure that the last 24,000 kb (doh!), I mean 24meg of email aren't really important.

And this type of flippant use of unit label goes a long way in explaining why my AdSense earnings are in the tank. 24 meg here, 24 meg there, pretty soon you're talking about real data!

And I sure hope they don't try this tactic with their annual reports after the IPO.

And, well that's enough. I Should have expected this from people that name their company after a misspelled number. Guess it's time to find another search engine.

1000MB is just a marketing stunt. Why offer 24MB more, when they can get the same "effect"?

We are here talking about storage in 4 digits...Just like the $9.99 instead of $10.

>One person's 1,000,000,000 bytes is another person's 1,024,000,000 bytes is another persons 1,073,741,824 bytes.

At the risk of being excruciatingly pedantic here, the above is wrong. Those like me who consider the correct way to be base2 notation would say that a GB is 1,073,741,824 bytes. Someone who thought a GB was 1,024,000,000 bytes would be using base10 to define a MB, and then perversely switch to base2 to define a GB.

rfgdxm1, you are correct:

a 'Gigabyte' would either be:

1024 bytes x 1024 x 1024 = 1073741824 bytes
or
1000 bytes x 1000 x 1000 = 1000000000 bytes

and thus be:

1000Mb (base 10) or 1074Mb (base 2)

Okay, this whole thread is f**king ridiculous. WHO CARES about whether they mean

o 1GB, OR
o 1000MB, OR
o 1,073,741,824 bytes, OR
o 1,024,000,000 bytes, OR
o 8,589,934,592 bits, OR
o 97,876,190,123,999,390,193 magnetic particles
?

Just read it as 1 ALottaData, or 1000 QuiteABits, or anything else.

If you are transferring existing email to the account, just keep forwarding data until your account is full. Then you will have a great idea of how much your FREE, insanely cavernous storage area can hold.

Maybe I missed someone already mentioning this but but I think Google is following in the footsteps of Hard Drive manufacturers who do the exact same thing-- "250GB* Hard Drive!"

And then "*Actual size is 250,059 megabytes (262,205,865,984 bytes) but will be reported in windows as 244 gigabytes, we swear we're not shorting you those 6 gigabytes guys, please don't sue us"

heh. I also agree with BReflection that Google just shows 1,000 MB for the sake of not confusing the users.