[TriLUG] Possibly off-topic, but... Hot 1's, Cool 0's?

Tanner Lovelace clubjuggler at gmail.com
Tue Oct 10 16:19:06 EDT 2006


On 10/10/06, Byarlay, Wayne A. <wab at purdue.edu> wrote:
> Let's say you have a computer, and its OS is Linux. [There, I just made
> it relavant to this forum! ;) ]
>
> Then, let's say it's running a program that uses ALL available memory,
> and fills it with binary 1's.
>
> Is this alleged computer using MORE ELECTRICITY than if the program were
> storing all binary 0's?
>
> Also, is this alleged computer producing MORE HEAT than if the program
> were storing all binary 0's?
>
> I know this is a very silly question. but I've always wondered about
> this, ever since I learned that "0" simply meant that a certain
> transistor had a voltage of 0, and a "1" had a voltage of +5v (or +3.5,
> or whatever they're using nowadays).

A binary zero doesn't have to correspond to a voltage of 0.
It could just as easily correspond to a voltage of -5.

Cheers,
Tanner
-- 
Tanner Lovelace
clubjuggler at gmail dot com
http://wtl.wayfarer.org/
(fieldless) In fess two roundels in pale, a billet fesswise and an
increscent, all sable.



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