Memory Card overhead

When I format my Memory Stick Duo 128Mb card in my p900i I end up with 123Mb
available.

5Mb missing out of 128Mb seems a lot - is this the usual amount?

Ray Martin

"Ray Martin" <me@home.com> wrote in message
news:dqil6u$66u$1$8302bc10@news.demon.co.uk...
> When I format my Memory Stick Duo 128Mb card in my p900i I end up with
123Mb
> available.
>
> 5Mb missing out of 128Mb seems a lot - is this the usual amount?

This is a base 2 conversion. The file system probably reads it as 1024 bytes
to a kilobyte instead of 1000, and consequently a megabyte is 1,048,576
bytes

So 128,000,000 bytes = 122.07 MB

Marcus

In article <8B5zf.383$_C5.342@newsfe1-win.ntli.net>, Marcus Fox
<please-reply-via-newsgroup-th@-i-posted-to.com> writes
>
>"Ray Martin" <me@home.com> wrote in message
>news:dqil6u$66u$1$8302bc10@news.demon.co.uk...
>> When I format my Memory Stick Duo 128Mb card in my p900i I end up with
>123Mb
>> available.
>>
>> 5Mb missing out of 128Mb seems a lot - is this the usual amount?
>
>This is a base 2 conversion. The file system probably reads it as 1024 bytes
>to a kilobyte instead of 1000, and consequently a megabyte is 1,048,576
>bytes
>
>So 128,000,000 bytes = 122.07 MB
>
I'd be surprised as the chips are naturally binary arrays, more likely a
formatting overhead. But as it's Sony I wouldn't be surprised if there was a
fiddle somewhere.
--
fred
Plusnet - I hope you like vanilla

"fred" <not@for.mail> wrote in message news:fJ+3OLAXoRzDFw8t@y.z...
>>This is a base 2 conversion. The file system probably reads it as 1024
>>bytes
>>to a kilobyte instead of 1000, and consequently a megabyte is 1,048,576
>>bytes
>>
>>So 128,000,000 bytes = 122.07 MB
>>
> I'd be surprised as the chips are naturally binary arrays, more likely a
> formatting overhead. But as it's Sony I wouldn't be surprised if there was
> a
> fiddle somewhere.

This isn't uncommon,when you format a hard-drive, you lose a portion of it;
not purely for tables etc, but as manufacturers measure things by 1000's,
whereas proper file systems measure them by 1024.

"fred" <not@for.mail> wrote in message news:fJ+3OLAXoRzDFw8t@y.z...
> In article <8B5zf.383$_C5.342@newsfe1-win.ntli.net>, Marcus Fox
> <please-reply-via-newsgroup-th@-i-posted-to.com> writes
> >
> >"Ray Martin" <me@home.com> wrote in message
> >news:dqil6u$66u$1$8302bc10@news.demon.co.uk...
> >> When I format my Memory Stick Duo 128Mb card in my p900i I end up with
> >123Mb
> >> available.
> >>
> >> 5Mb missing out of 128Mb seems a lot - is this the usual amount?
> >
> >This is a base 2 conversion. The file system probably reads it as 1024
bytes
> >to a kilobyte instead of 1000, and consequently a megabyte is 1,048,576
> >bytes
> >
> >So 128,000,000 bytes = 122.07 MB
> >
> I'd be surprised as the chips are naturally binary arrays, more likely a
> formatting overhead. But as it's Sony I wouldn't be surprised if there was
a
> fiddle somewhere.

Not a formatting overhead, some time ago I bought a hard drive advertised as
250 GB. Then in the small print that came with it, it said that the 250 GB
referred to 250 billion bytes, or 250,000,000,000. This calculates exactly
to the capacity of 232.83 GB.

Marcus

In article <t_fzf.1504$mf2.467@newsfe6-win.ntli.net>, Marcus Fox
<please-reply-via-newsgroup-th@-i-posted-to.com> writes
>
>"fred" <not@for.mail> wrote in message news:fJ+3OLAXoRzDFw8t@y.z...
>> In article <8B5zf.383$_C5.342@newsfe1-win.ntli.net>, Marcus Fox
>> <please-reply-via-newsgroup-th@-i-posted-to.com> writes
>> >
>> >"Ray Martin" <me@home.com> wrote in message
>> >news:dqil6u$66u$1$8302bc10@news.demon.co.uk...
>> >> When I format my Memory Stick Duo 128Mb card in my p900i I end up with
>> >123Mb
>> >> available.
>> >>
>> >> 5Mb missing out of 128Mb seems a lot - is this the usual amount?
>> >
>> >This is a base 2 conversion. The file system probably reads it as 1024
>bytes
>> >to a kilobyte instead of 1000, and consequently a megabyte is 1,048,576
>> >bytes
>> >
>> >So 128,000,000 bytes = 122.07 MB
>> >
>> I'd be surprised as the chips are naturally binary arrays, more likely a
>> formatting overhead. But as it's Sony I wouldn't be surprised if there was
>a
>> fiddle somewhere.
>
>Not a formatting overhead, some time ago I bought a hard drive advertised as
>250 GB. Then in the small print that came with it, it said that the 250 GB
>referred to 250 billion bytes, or 250,000,000,000. This calculates exactly
>to the capacity of 232.83 GB.
>
The situation you describe does not apply to semiconductor memory, they
are arranged as rectangular arrays of cells which naturally generate
memory sizes that are binary multiples. The situation with disk drives is
entirely different.
--
fred
Plusnet - I hope you like vanilla

In article <Zdfzf.10111$C7.5864@newsfe3-win.ntli.net>, Yozzi <yozziNAE
SPAMPLEASE@mail.net> writes
>
>"fred" <not@for.mail> wrote in message news:fJ+3OLAXoRzDFw8t@y.z...
>>>This is a base 2 conversion. The file system probably reads it as 1024
>>>bytes
>>>to a kilobyte instead of 1000, and consequently a megabyte is 1,048,576
>>>bytes
>>>
>>>So 128,000,000 bytes = 122.07 MB
>>>
>> I'd be surprised as the chips are naturally binary arrays, more likely a
>> formatting overhead. But as it's Sony I wouldn't be surprised if there was
>> a
>> fiddle somewhere.
>
>This isn't uncommon,when you format a hard-drive, you lose a portion of it;
>not purely for tables etc, but as manufacturers measure things by 1000's,
>whereas proper file systems measure them by 1024.

This has nothing to do with hard drives.
--
fred
Plusnet - I hope you like vanilla

Marcus Fox wrote:
> So 128,000,000 bytes = 122.07 MB

I'm sure this was stopped due to advertising regulations a few years back.


--
Marc
http://www.iMarc.co.uk/ for contact details.

"fred" <not@for.mail> wrote in message news:AnPQVPAR2fzDFwc$@y.z...
> In article <Zdfzf.10111$C7.5864@newsfe3-win.ntli.net>, Yozzi <yozziNAE
> SPAMPLEASE@mail.net> writes
>>
>>"fred" <not@for.mail> wrote in message news:fJ+3OLAXoRzDFw8t@y.z...
>>>>This is a base 2 conversion. The file system probably reads it as 1024
>>>>bytes
>>>>to a kilobyte instead of 1000, and consequently a megabyte is 1,048,576
>>>>bytes
>>>>
>>>>So 128,000,000 bytes = 122.07 MB
>>>>
>>> I'd be surprised as the chips are naturally binary arrays, more likely a
>>> formatting overhead. But as it's Sony I wouldn't be surprised if there
>>> was
>>> a
>>> fiddle somewhere.
>>
>>This isn't uncommon,when you format a hard-drive, you lose a portion of
>>it;
>>not purely for tables etc, but as manufacturers measure things by 1000's,
>>whereas proper file systems measure them by 1024.
>
> This has nothing to do with hard drives.

It applies to flash memory too, i was just purely giving an example,
FREDERIC!!!

On Wed, 18 Jan 2006 08:34:33 GMT, fred <not@for.mail> wrote:

>>Not a formatting overhead, some time ago I bought a hard drive advertised as
>>250 GB. Then in the small print that came with it, it said that the 250 GB
>>referred to 250 billion bytes, or 250,000,000,000. This calculates exactly
>>to the capacity of 232.83 GB.
>>
>The situation you describe does not apply to semiconductor memory, they
>are arranged as rectangular arrays of cells which naturally generate
>memory sizes that are binary multiples. The situation with disk drives is
>entirely different.

You have to format memory cards much the same as you have to formal
hard discs. The only difference is that memory cards usually come
ready formatted.

The descriptions of HDD capacity are just deliberately misleading. It
is a sort of fraud, really.


--

Iain
the out-of-date hairydog guide to mobile phones
http://www.hairydog.co.uk/cell1.html
Browse now while stocks last!

In article <Lbwzf.37507$W4.36747@newsfe4-gui.ntli.net>, Taylor
<taylor_m@NOSPAMntlworld.com> writes
>"fred" <not@for.mail> wrote in message news:AnPQVPAR2fzDFwc$@y.z...
>> In article <Zdfzf.10111$C7.5864@newsfe3-win.ntli.net>, Yozzi <yozziNAE
>> SPAMPLEASE@mail.net> writes
>>>
>>>not purely for tables etc, but as manufacturers measure things by 1000's,
>>>whereas proper file systems measure them by 1024.
>>
>> This has nothing to do with hard drives.
>
>It applies to flash memory too, i was just purely giving an example,
>FREDERIC!!!

Got any links to data for flash memory chips sized in decimal?
--
fred
Plusnet - I hope you like vanilla