32-bit refers to thirty-two binary (0 or 1) units of integer data. This allows for up to 4,294,967,296 combinations of values.
- 32-bit color is typically split into four sets of 8-bit values for 256 levels per RGBA channel (red, green, blue, and alpha). The three 8-bit RGB values deliver 16,777,216 unique colors, the same as 24-bit color, but with the addition of 256 levels of transparency defined by the alpha channel.
- 32-bit sound allows for a range of up to 4,294,967,296 values (−2,147,483,648 to +2,147,483,647) per sample (Hertz).
- 32-bit addressing allows for access to up to 4,294,967,296 bytes, or 4 gigabytes of data.
- 32 bits of data make 4 bytes, referred to by programmers as a longword.
See also[]
- Mac OS 7.6, the first version of classic Mac OS to run solely in 32-bit addressing mode.
- macOS 10.13 High Sierra, the last version of macOS to run 32-bit applications "without compromise".
- macOS 10.14 Mojave, the last version of macOS to support 32-bit applications at all.
- Motorola 68020, the first fully 32-bit processor used by Apple Computer, in the Macintosh II computer.
External links[]
- 32-bit at the NeXT Wiki
- 32-bit computing at Wikipedia
