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
- According to Wesley Crusher, nanites used in the 24th century had "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 3,000 gigabytes of data when Starling forced them to terminate their download. (VOY: "Future's End")
This would more commonly be described as three terabytes.
- XB (exact size unknown)
- D'Jamat deleted 19.3 XB of data Enterprise had collected on the Delphic Expanse spheres. (ENT: "Chosen Realm").
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")
The term "byte" was apparently replaced by "quad" when the Federation started using a different computer language other than binary, which uses two numerals instead of four.