What is the highest decimal value we can represent with a byte?

A byte consists of 8 bits, and each bit can hold a value of either 0 or 1. This means that a byte can represent a total of (2^8) possible values, which calculates to 256 different combinations. However, when considering decimal values, the range starts from 0 and goes up to 255, inclusive.

Therefore, the highest decimal value that can be represented with a byte is indeed 255. This is because, in binary, the highest combination of 8 bits is 11111111, which converts to 255 in decimal representation. This understanding is crucial in fields such as programming, data storage, and networking, where bytes are fundamental units of digital information.