We'd be better off with 9-bit bytes
18 days ago
- #computing-history
- #IPv4-alternatives
- #byte-size
- 9-bit bytes were used in 70s computing systems like the PDP-10, but 8-bit bytes became standard due to historical coincidences.
- IPv4 with 9-bit bytes would have 36-bit addresses (64 billion total), delaying exhaustion and reducing reliance on NATs and IPv6.
- 36-bit UNIX timestamps would last until 3058, avoiding the 2038 issue and covering historical events since 882.
- Unicode with 18-bit characters (262k total) would eliminate CJK unification issues and accommodate all current characters, including emojis.
- 36-bit operating systems would allow up to 32 GB per process, reducing memory constraints compared to 32-bit systems.
- Other benefits include 18-bit AS numbers, ports, process IDs, and user IDs, as well as saner instruction encodings and earlier prominence of 18-bit floats.
- Potential downsides include TCP sequence number exhaustion, requiring TCPv2 by the mid-90s, but ISPs would likely adopt it for competitive speeds.