Why can't I use complete memory space of my pendrive?

[Sumeet Vishwakarma]

Hey friends, I am a businessman, recently I bought a new laptop along with all extra peripherals which are required and necessary for my daily work. External devices like pen drive, memory card, card reader, USB connectors and other portable device. I would say that I am completely satisfied with whatever I have got. It’s my son who helped me in getting all these stuffs as I am completely unaware and unknown of these computer technologies. But now day by day as I am using my laptop I am getting a doubt. One of the common one comes in my mind is that my son bought me the pen drive of 2GB but when I accessed it first time what I noticed in my laptop was that it only showed me 1.86GB space available in the pen drive. Why is it so, it feels like I am fooled by the shopkeeper who sold me this pen drive. Am I right?

[Samaria]

By reading you thread the first think I can say is that you are truly and seriously new and unaware of this computer related world. My friend let me tell you that the shopkeeper has not fooled you neither your pen dive have any problem.

The memory space existing in your pen drive i.e. 1.86GB is what the actual memory space of the pen drive. If you doubt then you can check out any new pen drive of any brand of 2GB, 1.86GB will be the actual memory space shown available in it. So you need not have to worry about it. Just be calm and forget about the memory issue.

[Sumeet Vishwakarma]

If it so then why the manufacturers fools we people, technically aware people like can make it out and understand the thing but what about the people like us who are totally new to this IT things. How can we come to know that what exactly is the memory space available in the device. Is it necessary for them to write 2GB instead of 1.86GB? Can anyone tell me what can be the exact logic behind this 2GB and 1.86 GB?

[Sasuke Uchiha]

I don’t think there is any such specific or special logic behind hiding the original memory space. I guess it’s only to make the memory space round off in numbers. You must have noticed in many of the cases where people skip the decimal number or the fractions and round off the number just to make others conveniently read the number.
The same thing is done while printing the memory space. Instead of writing 1.86GB they print it rounding off 2GB which look more decent and also makes it preferable to read and understand and also to remember.

[Anjan1990]

I completely disagree with the above clarification. Just to make certain number round off no manufacturer can print and mention a wrong value on their product.

According to me I personally feel that the available memory space inside the pen drive is exactly what is printed outside it. I mean to say that no one has fooled anyone; it’s only that some of the memory space inside the pen drive has been used up by the files and folder which has been created by developers. These files and folders according to me are necessary for the pen drive to run and access. They maybe not necessary for us but very important for the internal working. We cannot see them because I think they are hidden or something. I am not completely sure but I think most probably this could be the reason for the less memory space available inside the pen drive.