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brushwolf ([personal profile] brushwolf) wrote2012-08-07 01:02 pm

dumb question

Okay, computer science types, can you give me a hand here?

Reading about the Kirsch equation, it occurs to me that modelling objects in 3 dimensional space would be a real goal of initial computers. And what's more, a system bus has three components, control/data/address. It seems pretty logical to try locating something as some multiple of 3 bits, so you could potentially have 9-bit or 18-bit microprocessors, 324 colors, 104975 port transport layers, stuff like that.

But, microprocessors are based around octets. Why is this, ease in handling, historical precedent?