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  • Consider the number 123. You can store it directly as an 8-bit signed integer. But how are you going to read in this number in the first place? For example, if the user types it in, you're going to expect to be able to type in each digit '1', '2' and '3' before storing it in memory. If you read it from a text file or something, it's basically the same problem. And the reverse is also true -- if you have the binary for 123 in memory, how are you going to print it out? You have to print the digit '1', then '2' and finally '3' out to the screen. Commented Apr 24, 2015 at 8:22
  • The question has been updated. Commented Apr 24, 2015 at 8:39