Is a byte always 8 bits?

Question

I\'m working through The Elements of Computing Systems when I read the following excerpt:

The Hack computer includes a black-and-white screen organize

Answer 1

In modern terms there are always 8 bits to a byte. This has been since 1993 IIRC. ISO/IEC 2382-1:1993.

There have however also been systems with other bit counts to a byte 6 bits/7bits have been common. There are however other more obscure ones.

At the end of the day I think it would be rare to find a machine today that was not based on 8 bits to a byte.