[perennialmind]

The sentence "a 32-bit CPU register can address up to 4 gigabyte of memory" is sloppy, the sentence "a 32-bit CPU register can address up to 4 GiB of memory" is not.

[hulitu]

> The sentence "a 32-bit CPU register can address up to 4 gigabyte of memory" is sloppy, the sentence "a 32-bit CPU register can address up to 4 GiB of memory" is not.

"Up to" is marketing. From my experience "up to" starts from 0.

[mwint]

32 bits can address 4GiB. That's how 2^32 works. It can also address 2GiB, or 1GiB. I think the wording is fine.

Like saying a car can go up to 200mph, no one thinks the car is unable to go 50mph.