Acomdata EXTERNAL E5 HARD DRIVE USB 2.0 User Manual page 79

and Mac operating systems use the binary (base 2) method,
where 1GB = 1,024 MB = 1,048,576 KB = 1,073,741,824 bytes.
For example: 120 GB (decimal) = 111.8 GB (binary). How did
we get that number? Using the decimal method, 120 GB =
120,000,000,000 bytes. To convert that to binary we divide
120,000,000,000 by 1,073,741,824, which equals 111.8.
Therefore, a 120 GB hard drive partition will mount as approxi-
mately a 111.8 GB volume on your computer's OS. The reason
the number will be approximate is because the actual number
of available bytes of storage on a 120 GB hard drive will not be
exactly 120,000,000,000. It is actually a bit more than that. We
just round down the figure to 120 GB for simplicity's sake.
Hard drive manufacturers use the decimal method because it is
simpler and less confusing to consumers who may not be famil-
iar with the base 2 number system. Manufacturers of operating
systems do not need to concern themselves with this issue, so
they typically use the more traditional binary method.
Q: Can I use my AcomData Drive to copy an operating system
from one computer to another?
A: You cannot transfer an installed operating system to another
computer or hard drive simply by copying the operating sys-
tem's files. In order to install an operating system, you'll need
to follow the manufacturer's installation procedure. If you wish
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