byte
loreprogramming
A group of bits handled as a unit, standardized to eight, and the everyday quantum of computer storage.
Werner Buchholz coined 'byte' in 1956 while designing IBM's 7030 Stretch supercomputer, deliberately respelling 'bite' so it could never be mistaken in print for 'bit'. Early machines used bytes of six, seven, or nine bits; the eight-bit byte became universal with IBM's System/360 in 1964 and never looked back. The playful mastication theme stuck, so half a byte is a nibble. One byte holds 256 values, enough for a character of text, which is why it became the natural unit for memory, files, and addresses.
Also known as: octet