On Fri, 2005-07-08 at 12:59 -0500, Cybe R. Wizard wrote: > On Fri, 8 Jul 2005 08:43:32 -0400 > Stephen R Laniel <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > > Earlier in our lives, it was a big deal when hard-disk > > prices fell below $1 per megabyte. I recently bought a > > 200-gig drive for $100. Assume the $1-per-meg limit > > was hit 15 years ago (I think it was less than that, but it > > was at most 15). So in 15 years the per-gig price of hard > > disks dropped 2000-fold. > > Possibly I'm innumerate but this makes no sense to me. If something > has a defined price and that price drops 1 (one)-fold doesn't that mean > it is now free? I believe a one-fold price /increase/ doubles the > price, right? How do you determine that 2000-fold figure? > > <hoping I'm just stupid from the heat today>
n-fold is equivalent to n-times. so you give me 10 widgets and then a) i pay you back 1-fold (10 widgets) b) i pay you back 2-fold (20 widgets) c) a 2 fold increase would be 20 widgets i'm not sure the phrase applies to decreases unless it's a half-fold increase (5 widgets) but that sounds wrong so I guess common use means a 1-fold decrease is (1/1) * 10 = 10 widgets (ie the same!) whereas a 10-fold decrease is (1/10) * 10 = 1 widget that make any sense?! > -- Michael Bane Atmospheric Physics Group University of Manchester -- To UNSUBSCRIBE, email to [EMAIL PROTECTED] with a subject of "unsubscribe". Trouble? Contact [EMAIL PROTECTED]
