384Kb

384 kilobytes (384Kb or 384 KB) is a unit of digital information storage and data transfer capacity commonly used in computing and telecommunications. It represents 384,000 bytes, or 384,000 eight-bit units of data. The term "kilobyte" originates from the metric prefix "kilo-," which denotes a factor of one thousand, though in computing contexts, it often refers to 2^10 (1,024) bytes due to historical binary-based measurement systems.

In the early days of personal computing, 384Kb was a significant storage capacity. For example, the original Apple II computer introduced in 1977 could be configured with up to 48Kb of RAM, while later models like the Apple IIe (1983) offered 128Kb as standard. By the late 1980s and early 1990s, 384Kb became a common benchmark for floppy disks, such as the 3.5-inch diskettes used in many systems of the time, which typically held 720Kb or 1.44Mb of data. However, 384Kb was also a notable capacity for early hard drives, such as the Seagate ST-506 series introduced in 1980, which offered storage capacities ranging from 5 to 20 megabytes, with 384Kb sectors used in data organization.

In networking, 384Kbps (kilobits per second) was a common data transfer rate for early dial-up internet connections, such as those provided by analog modems. This rate was significantly slower compared to modern broadband standards but was a substantial improvement over earlier technologies like acoustic couplers, which operated at much lower speeds. Today, 384Kb is largely obsolete as a practical storage or transfer unit, given the vast capacities of modern hard drives, SSDs, and high-speed internet connections. However, it remains a useful reference point for understanding the evolution of computing and data storage technologies.