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What Does "8-Bit" Mean?
Bits, bytes, Game Boys and the tiny switches that run everything.
Before smartphones, a whole generation of kids learned what "8-bit" meant by squinting at a little green screen. Here's what the term really means, why the late '90s were full of it, and why an electrician in Overland Park named his company after it.
Bits and Bytes: Tiny Switches
A bit is the smallest piece of computer information. It can only be one of two things: 1 or 0. On or off. That’s it. (The word is short for “binary digit.”)
Eight Bits Make a Byte
Line up 8 bits and you get a byte. Eight switches can make 256 different patterns, so one byte can count from 0 to 255.
The 8-Bit Idea
Every photo, song and text message is a huge pile of those on/off patterns.
So What Does 8-Bit Mean?
8-bit means a computer chip that works with 8 ones-and-zeros at a time. That was enough for the Game Boy, the NES, and a lot of the classic games people grew up on. Simple, tough, and built to work. That is the idea behind 8bit Electric.
Pixel Art and Chiptune
The original Game Boy screen was 160 pixels wide and 144 pixels tall with 4 shades. Artists built whole worlds from tiny squares. Its four-channel sound chip made the bleeps and bloops we call chiptune.
The Game Boy Timeline
1989: Game Boy launches with Tetris; four AA batteries gave about 15 hours. 1996: Game Boy Pocket arrives. September 1998: Pokémon Red and Blue make link cables essential. November 1998: Game Boy Color arrives with a faster chip and color screen.
Growing Up 8-Bit in the Late '90s
Like a lot of kids, Lucas grew up with a Game Boy in hand: blowing into cartridges, angling the screen toward a lamp, and racing the low-battery light before a save point. Two Game Boys and one link cable felt like magic.
Level 1: February 16, 2021
On February 16, 2021, Lucas B started 8bit Electric in Overland Park, Kansas. The name connects the 8-bit Game Boy he grew up with and the electrical work he does today.
Why "8bit Electric" Fits
Every bit is a switch that is on or off, just like the breakers, switches and circuits an electrician works with all day. Careful, logical wiring where every circuit does its job, with a little fun mixed in.
Overland Park & KC Metro Electrical Repair
If you're having trouble with an electrical outlet, flickering lights, a breaker that trips when you turn on your hair dryer, or any other problem related to electricity, a Certified Electrician from 8bit Electric can help solve the problem quickly and efficiently.