Novel as plain text
The plain digital text of a book stored as an unformatted file, without images or layout.
How big is it?
1 MB · data
Data · example
A little perspective
Novel as plain text vs Compressed photo: data size comparison
The data size of a compressed photo is about 3 times the data size of a novel as plain text.
BYTES OF DATA
The plain digital text of a book stored as an unformatted file, without images or layout.
A compressed photo is a digital image file that has been processed to reduce the amount of data needed to store or transmit it.
Measurements, assumptions & sources +
Novel as plain text
Data: 1 MB; example.
A chosen 1 MB unformatted text file. Books vary in length and encoding.
Defined examples — our methodology
The marked data is calibrated. Unmeasured illustration details are representative.
Compressed photo
Data: 3 MB; example.
A chosen 3 MB compressed photograph. Resolution, quality and format are not fixed by file size.
Defined examples — our methodology
The marked data is calibrated. Unmeasured illustration details are representative.
Use the visual comparison to explore its scale, then check the measurements and sources.
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Why this measurement?
Why we use 1 MB
We compare the data size of a novel as plain text. This is an illustrative comparison value, not a claim that every example is the same.
A chosen 1 MB unformatted text file. Books vary in length and encoding.
The picture identifies the subject; the diagram compares the recorded values. How calibrated comparisons work →
Recorded properties
Dimensions and measurements
| Property | Selected value | Recorded range | Basis |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 MB | Not recorded | example |
Around this scale
Explore nearby values.
Compare examples with lower, similar and higher values. Each card names the measurement being compared.
Nearest lower valueDigital informationText page3 kBDataA digital file containing one page of plain text characters without formatting or embedded fonts.
Nearest higher valueDigital informationCompressed photo3 MBDataA compressed photo is a digital image file that has been processed to reduce the amount of data needed to store or transmit it.Sources and method
Want to check the number?
The source records and measurement method remain available for inspection.
More ways to see it
Curated comparisons
There’s always another scale
Follow your curiosity.
DigitalText page3 kBA digital file containing one page of plain text characters without formatting or embedded fonts.DigitalCompressed photo3 MBA compressed photo is a digital image file that has been processed to reduce the amount of data needed to store or transmit it.Digital128 GB phone128 GBPhone storage is the digital memory in a mobile phone used to keep apps, photos, videos and other files.
Digital1 TB drive1 TBA one-terabyte drive is a digital storage device capable of holding large amounts of computer data, such as documents, media and software.DigitalCompressed song8.4 MBA digital audio recording of a song compressed at a constant bitrate for efficient storage.DigitalRAW photo30 MBAn unprocessed digital image file captured directly from a camera sensor, preserving original detail.
DigitalJames Webb Space Telescope raw exposure100 MBA James Webb Space Telescope raw exposure is the unprocessed digital data captured by one of the telescope's detectors during an observation.DigitalWeb browser cookie capacity4.096 kBWeb browser cookie capacity is the minimum amount of data a browser must reliably store for each HTTP cookie, including its name, value and attributes.