A byte is a unit of computer storage.
When the Bynars performed a computer core-dump from Bynaus in the USS Enterprise-D, they filled every byte of free space in the starships computer core. (TNG: "11001001")
Comparative list of storage measurement
- Gigabyte = 1 billion bytes, Terabyte = 1 trillion bytes; Petabyte=1 quadrillion bytes
- According to Wesley Crusher, nanites used in the 24th Century have "gigabytes of mechanical computer memory". (TNG: "Evolution")
- Henry Starling noted that when Captain Janeway and Commander Chakotay attempted to download his database, they had downloaded 3000 gigabytes, or 3 terabytes, of data when Starling forced them to terminate their download. (VOY: "Future's End, Part I")
- Petabyte = 1 quadrillion (1x1015) bytes
- Data was built with the ultimate storage capacity of 800 quadrillion bits. At 8 bits per byte, it can be calculated that Data has 100 petabytes, or 100,000,000 gigabytes, of memory. (TNG: "The Measure of a Man") (This is approximately 88.8 pebibytes.)
- This term was never specifically used the episode, but is calculated from the description given on Data's abilities.
- Interestingly enough, one petabyte is considered the capacity of the human brain, but Data reportedly has the memories of 150 people stored in his memory units. (TNG: "Datalore")
Background
The term "byte" was apparently replaced by "quad" when the Federation started using a different computer language other than binary, which uses two numbers instead of four.