Bitmap (Microsoft Windows Bitmap)

Format name: Bitmap (Microsoft Windows Bitmap)
Extension: bmp, dib, rle
Type: bitmapped
Compression algorithm: RLE (lossless), without compression
Color depth: up to 32 bits
Platforms: Windows, OS/2

Bitmap is a home Windows raster format, which is used practically for all possible raster data storage.
All BMP versions were designed for computers with Intel processors. The current format version is device independable (that means that Bitmap determines the pixel's color without reference to display device) and makes possible to record images of a different quality level (to the point of 32 bits). After revising, the format was used to hold color and black and white images, so it became general. The main advantage of the format is considered to be its usability and wide software support.

Compression algorithm, used in BMP format, is one of the RLE run-length encoding variants (read more about RLE compression algorithm here). But most files are hold incompact.