32 Bit

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The size of the data. 2^16 = 0 to 65 535 (Dos and Win 3.1) while 2^32 = 0 to 4 294 967 296 (Win 95, Win2000, most copies of XP) and 2^64 = 0 to 18 446 744 073 709 551 616

If the computer is working with text, then only 16 bits is used regardless of how big the data size is.
 
Hi

'Very basically' it is the number of computations that a CPU can calculate per second:

32-bit = 4294967296
64-bit = 1.84467E+19

Will
 
Will-
Wouldn't that be more of the function of the cpu speed?

: Hi
:
: 'Very basically' it is the number of computations that a
: CPU can calculate per second:
:
: 32-bit = 4294967296
: 64-bit = 1.84467E+19
:
: Will
:
:
: :: Could somebody tell me what 32 or 64 bit actually refers
:: to?
 
The speed at which the CPU can compute calculations - I can't quite see the difference.

Will
 
Could somebody tell me what 32 or 64 bit actually refers to?
Click to expand...

It describes the hardware. A 32 bit machine - which is what nearly all
of us use these days - handles 32-bit words. That means that it can
easily handle signed integer numbers that can be as big as positive or
negative 2,000,000,000. It also handles a 32-bit address space, which
means that it can address about 4GB of memory. It tends to move things
around in memory and between memory and the CPU four byes (32 bits) at
a time.

A 64 bit machine uses 64-bit words. The integer size becomes positive
or negative 2**63, the address space is 2**64. That's something like
18,446,744,073,709,551,616 bytes of memory that can be addressed,
which should satisfy the needs of even the most powerful servers - for
a while anyway. And these things will tend to move data 8 bytes at a
time.

The 64-bit version of WindowsXP is written to take advantage of the
capablilities of 64-bit hardware. That means that it uses instructions
that 32-bit machines do not have and cannot cope with. So nearly all
of us use the 32-bit version of WinXP on our 32-bit hardware. A few
places that have spent huge amounts of money on 64-bit hardware have
also spent considerable amounts of money for 64-bit WindowsXP.
 
The bits in your dog's kibble.

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Change the obvious to the obvious.
 
-----Original Message-----
Could somebody tell me what 32 or 64 bit actually refers to?
.
Click to expand...


Simply put, from Encarta:

Computer, 32-Bit Machine, in computer science, a computer
that works with information in groups of 32 bits (binary
digits) at a time. A description of a computer as a 32-bit
machine can either refer to the word size (basic working
unit) of its microprocessor or, more commonly, refer to
the number of bits transferred along the computer's data
bus (data path along which information travels to and from
the microprocessor) at a single time. A 32-bit
microprocessor thus has a word size of 32 bits, or 4
bytes; a 32-bit data bus has 32 data lines, so it ferries
information through the system in sets of 32 bits at a
time. The Apple Macintosh II is a 32-bit machine, in terms
of both the word size of its microprocessor and the size
of the data bus, as are the IBM PS/2 Model 80 and similar
models based on the Intel 80386 microprocessor. See also
80386DX; 8-Bit Machine; 16-Bit Machine; Bit; Microcomputer.


And if that is too difficult to understand, then invision
car engines. The difference between a V6 and a V8. For
example a V6 has 6 cylinders, 6 spark plugs and a
distributer cap that has 6 wires. A V6 has a variety of
horsepower, performance levels. A V8 has 8 cylinders, 8
spark plugs, etc. and also comes with a variety of
horsepower and performance levels. Can't very well expect,
let's say, a distributor cap to work on a v8 if it's for a
v6. It can't address sending energy to the two additional
spark plugs.

It's something like that - the data path - for comparitive
purposes only.

A p4 at 1.5 ghz has less "horsepower" then a p4 2.5ghz.
But it's still a 32 bit CPU. Computers can have various
performance levels and limitations. Like our manufactured
computer - it cannot and will not upgrade to anything
above a 1.7ghz. Cannot, will not ever be upgraded beyond
1.5gb ram. It's "horsepower" is limited by the motherboard.

Most of us have 80386dx (x86). It is discribed as follows:

Ref: Encarta

Microprocessor, 80386DX, in computer science, also called
the 80386, 386, and 386DX. A 32-bit microprocessor from
Intel, introduced in 1985 and used in IBM and compatible
microcomputers such as the PS/2 Model 80. The 80386 is a
full 32-bit microprocessor, meaning that it has 32-bit
registers, it can transfer information over its data bus
32 bits at a time, and it can use 32 bits in addressing
memory. Like the earlier 80286, the 80386 operates in two
modes, real (which is compatible with MS-DOS and the
limits of the 8086 and 8088 chips) and protected (which
increases the microprocessor's functionality and protects
the operating system from halting because of an
inadvertent application program error). Real mode limits
the amount of memory that the microprocessor can address
to 1 megabyte; in protected mode, however, the total
amount of memory that the 80386 can address directly is 4
gigabytes (roughly 4 billion bytes). The 80386 also
includes a virtual 8086 mode, which allows operating
systems to effectively divide the 80386DX into several
8086 microprocessors each having its own 1-megabyte space,
allowing each "8086" to run its own program. See also
Computer; Integrated Circuit; Microcomputer.

I imagine since XP is not DOS based, the above explains
the reason why it's so effecient and stable. However, just
like cars, the computer must be keenly tunned to get top
performance (drivers, etc.)

If you are interested in the Intel Itanium 64bit
processors, visit Intel's website, and while you are there
visit their online Museum.
 
....although there are several features not supported in the 64-bit version of XP - a sample of which are:

WMP
CD Recording
NetMeeting
Fax

....just a few of the more used options that 32-bit users are used to, but hey, who wants a 64-bit PC that can...

Will
 
Good grief - I hadn't realised someone had accurately defined 32-bit processing - the mind boggles... tick-tock, tick-tock...

Will
 
Oh it's a lot more than that.

--
Check out http://www.kellys-korner-xp.com for amazing tweaks and fixes

Member of "Newsgroups are for everyone"

Email address is fake to prevent SPAM.
Real email address is pcyr2000 AT hotmail DOT com
Change the obvious to the obvious.
------------------
....although there are several features not supported in the 64-bit version
of XP - a sample of which are:

WMP
CD Recording
NetMeeting
Fax

....just a few of the more used options that 32-bit users are used to, but
hey, who wants a 64-bit PC that can...

Will
 
There's a rather technical - but good - article at Ars Technica about the
differences between 32-bit computer and 64-bit computing. They use the
example of AMD's x86-64 chip, which will be released soon, but there are
some good descriptions of the fundamental differences.

http://arstechnica.com/cpu/03q1/x86-64/x86-64-1.html

--
Mike Kolitz MCSE 2000
MS-MVP - Windows Setup and Deployment

PATCH YOUR WINDOWS NT/2000/XP/2003 COMPUTERS!
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