64 bit versus 32 bit question.

[Dave]

I want to get a new laptop pc and don't know if I should get a 64 or 32 bit
pc.
What's the advantage of one over the other? I hear a lot of my programs
will not work on a 64 bit machine.
Thanks for you help.

 

[Mike Hall - MVP]

I want to get a new laptop pc and don't know if I should get a 64 or 32 bit
pc.
What's the advantage of one over the other? I hear a lot of my programs
will not work on a 64 bit machine.
Thanks for you help.

Most programs will work with 64bit, but not all.. check with author
websites..

If you connect to peripherals, ensure that 64bit drivers are available. If
not, you are looking at replacing the affected peripherals or running 32bit
Vista instead..

 

[Tyro]

32 bit machines are being succeeded by 64 bit machines which will be
succeeded by 128 bit machines etc. Most 32 bit programs will run on a 64 bit
machine.
MS provides a compatibility checker you can run on your programs to see if
there might be problems. I'm running 32 bit Office and other 32 bit programs
under 64 bit Vista Ultimate. Have encountered no problems. In the near
future many 32 bit programs will be offered in a 64 bit version. 64 bit
machines are faster than 32 bit machines and can have more powerful
instructions. Google 64 bit computers to get more info.

Tyro

 

[ray]

I want to get a new laptop pc and don't know if I should get a 64 or 32
bit pc.
What's the advantage of one over the other? I hear a lot of my programs
will not work on a 64 bit machine.
Thanks for you help.

Determining factor as to what programs will or won't work would be
whether you have a 32 bit or 64 bit OS installed. No reason you can't get
a 64 bit computer and use a 32 bit OS - currently, that would be my
recommendation.

 

[Ken Blake, MVP]

I want to get a new laptop pc and don't know if I should get a 64 or 32 bit
pc.
What's the advantage of one over the other? I hear a lot of my programs
will not work on a 64 bit machine.

I don't know where you heard that, but it's almost certainly wrong for
you, since it's wrong for almost everyone. Except for a few utilities,
almost all 32-bit programs will run under 64-bit Vista. If any of your
apps won't work, it will likely be very few.

The advantage of running a 64-bit version of Windows exist only if you
also run 64-bit applications under it. Bear in mind that there are
very few such applications available yet. If you are presently running
32-bit Windows, you don't have any 64-bit applications, so to achieve
any advantage, you not only have to replace Windows, but also your
applications, *if* (and that's a big "if") 64-bit versions exist.

Also note that you will need 64-bit drivers for all your hardware.
Those drivers may not all be available, especially if some of your
hardware is a few years old. So it's possible that you might also have
to replace things like your printer, scanner, etc.

So the answer to your question is that it may not be a great idea
right now. That will undoubtedly change in the near future, but for
now, 64-bit Windows mostly means some extra trouble and expense for
little or no benefit.

On the other hand, installing 64-bit Windows instead of 32-bit Windows
makes you able to buy 64-bit software as it becomes available, instead
of the older 32-bit versions. That means that installing 64-bit
Windows--even though it will do very little for you at present--puts
you into a better position for the future.

One additional point: the 64-bit version lets you use more than the
approximately 3.1GB of RAM that the 32-bit version can use. Very few
people need or can make effective use of more than 3.1GB, but if you
are one of them, that's something else to consider.

 

[orthocross]

32 bit machines are being succeeded by 64 bit machines which will be
succeeded by 128 bit machines etc. Most 32 bit programs will run on a 64 bit
machine.
MS provides a compatibility checker you can run on your programs to see if
there might be problems. I'm running 32 bit Office and other 32 bit programs
under 64 bit Vista Ultimate. Have encountered no problems. In the near
future many 32 bit programs will be offered in a 64 bit version. 64 bit
machines are faster than 32 bit machines and can have more powerful
instructions. Google 64 bit computers to get more info.

Tyro

I wouldn't say that 64 bit machines are faster than 32bit machines,
necessarily. It really depends on the programs you are using:
Programs written to take advantage of 64bit processors may or may not
be faster, depending on their use. Example: Graphics rendering
programs will work better and faster, while text display will be no
faster, all things considered.

Another very important reason a 64bit machine is better is that it can
be used to address more memory, IF the OS being used is written to
take advantage of that extra memory. 32bit OSes can only address
about 4 GB of memory, even on a 64bit machine, while 64bit OSes can
address up to 4 terabytes of memory.

1 terabyte == ~(1,024x1,000,000,000 bytes)

 

[Tyro]

I'm aware of all that. Been in the computer field for many years.

Tyro

 

[Ian D]

I want to get a new laptop pc and don't know if I should get a 64 or 32 bit
pc.
What's the advantage of one over the other? I hear a lot of my programs
will not work on a 64 bit machine.
Thanks for you help.

If you're buying a new laptop, the hardware will be 64 bit. All
current CPUs have 64 bit extensions. Also, a lot of laptops
now have have 4GB of RAM. It's a matter if whether you want
to use 32, or 64 bit Vista. The consensus of opinion is that 64
bit Vista is a better OS than the 32 bit version. Most 32 bit
software will run on Vista 64, and with DOSBox you can run
most of the old 16 bit DOS programs. You have to be sure
there are 64 bit drivers available for your peripherals, such as
a printer or scanner.

 

[nitinagarwal1988]

there is no comparison between 32bit & 64bit platform as 64 bit have double
capability than a 32bit architecture..and the windows is also the last 32bit
version os will developed by ms.
today mostly all the machines have 64bit processors, so that is not the
problem and the main thing is 32bit os are not able to support more than
3gigs of ram..
and today most of the apps are available in 64bit architecture, so there is
no problem at all and if for some apps whose 64bit version is not available.
windows provides good compatibility mode for 32bit apps.

64 bit is future and 32 bit will almostly runout of the market in few years..

 

[Ian D]

32 bit machines are being succeeded by 64 bit machines which will be
succeeded by 128 bit machines etc. Most 32 bit programs will run on a 64
bit machine.
MS provides a compatibility checker you can run on your programs to see if
there might be problems. I'm running 32 bit Office and other 32 bit
programs under 64 bit Vista Ultimate. Have encountered no problems. In the
near future many 32 bit programs will be offered in a 64 bit version. 64
bit machines are faster than 32 bit machines and can have more powerful
instructions. Google 64 bit computers to get more info.

Tyro

It's just my opinion, but I think MS should go only with the 64 bit
versions of Windows 7. All new systems will be 64 bit capable,
and it will spur the development of true 64 bit applications, as
software publishers will be able to drop parallel 32 bit development.
This will also be beneficial to 64 bit Vista users.

 

[DanS]

=?Utf-8?B?bml0aW5hZ2Fyd2FsMTk4OA==?=

64 bit is future and 32 bit will almostly runout of the market in few
years..

Sure...like back in 1997 when 'they' predicted we will be out of 32 bit IP
address space in a couple of years......

 

[rasmasyean]

I want to get a new laptop pc and don't know if I should get a 64 or 32 bit
pc.
What's the advantage of one over the other? I hear a lot of my programs
will not work on a 64 bit machine.
Thanks for you help.

Windows Vista 64-bit links and factoids

32-bit vs. 64-bit Vista comparison tableâ€
http://www.mydigitallife.info/2008/...tween-32-bit-x86-vs-64-bit-x64-windows-vista/

32-bit means it can only “see†2^32 (2 to the 32nd power) = 4GB.
The computer has to be able to see the (usable)RAM + VRAM + other devices on
Motherboard, etc.
e.g. If you have 1GB VRAM and “other devices†takes up 0.3GB, you will only
be able to use a max of 2.7GB (4 - 1 - 0.3 = 2.7) RAM.
In this case, if you install 3GB RAM, you waste 0.3GB…if you install 4GB RAM
you waste 1.3GB!

This one's a bit technical, but it describes some of the nitty-gritty of
64-bit technology.
http://www.bit-tech.net/bits/2007/10/16/64-bit_more_than_just_the_ram/1


If this is any indication that 64-bit is the wave of the future and 32-bit
will be “obsoleteâ€â€¦

There appears to be a shift taking place in the PC industry: the move from
32-bit to 64-bit PCs.
We've been tracking the change by looking at the percentage of 64-bit PCs
connecting to Windows Update, and have seen a dramatic increase in recent
months. The installed base of 64-bit Windows Vista PCs, as a percentage of
all Windows Vista systems, has more than tripled in the U.S. in the last
three months, while worldwide adoption has more than doubled during the same
period. Another view shows that 20% of new Windows Vista PCs in the U.S.
connecting to Windows Update in June were 64-bit PCs, up from just 3% in
March. Put more simply, usage of 64-bit Windows Vista is growing much more
rapidly than 32-bit. Based on current trends, this growth will accelerate as
the retail channel shifts to supplying a rapidly increasing assortment of
64-bit desktops and laptops… PC Accelerators built into Windows Vista, such
as Windows SuperFetch, improve performance by keeping commonly used programs
in memory, even when the program is closed. More memory capacity on 64-bit
PCs allows SuperFetch to do its job more efficiently
http://windowsvistablog.com/blogs/windowsvista/archive/2008/07/30/windows-vista-64-bit-today.aspx

Understanding how SuperFetch uses RAM to enhance system performance…
http://blogs.techrepublic.com.com/window-on-windows/?p=735

Windows Vista - SuperFetch & ReadyBoos
http://blogs.technet.com/askperf/archive/2007/03/29/windows-vista-superfetch-readyboost.aspx

Considering this, SuperFetch is probably the most significant feature that
distinguishes Vista from all other OS's for users of all walks. Many other
features won't be noticeable or even used by the common person (unless you’re
a developer using WPF/WFC like in North Face Kiosks etc., or use many DX10
software). So why not take advantage of it since RAM is so cheap?
For kicks, here’s a video.

Consider that many workers like to have, say 20 windows open and do not shut
down in order to save time in the morning (even Monday morning), they can
now leave 40 windows (or more) open. Also, the more RAM they have, the more
stuff can be SuperFetched and Auto Disk Defragmenter and whatever can run
more efficiently in the background when AFK too.

For the above scenario, workers will probably “lock†Vista with the S3 sleep
more because they can resume in 5 seconds anyway, or it will just auto-sleep
after a period…translating to a huge savings on energy consumption.

All these are big bonuses from having a large amount of RAM (which is dirt
cheap these days as well as cheaper going forward). Costs associated with
driver/equipment upgrade for 64-bit compatibility may be more than made up
for in productivity savings by having more RAM.

Gaming…
A January 2009 survey by Valve Corporation indicated that of the 33.26% of
gamers running Windows Vista, 24.47% run 32-bit, 8.79% run 64-bit. 64-bit is
over one third of the Vista install base.
http://store.steampowered.com/hwsurvey/


Some interesting hardcore Vista 64-bit info:
....all 64-bit versions of Microsoft operating systems currently impose a 16
TB limit on address space and allow no more than 128 GB of physical memory
due to the impracticality of having 16 TB of RAM. Processes created on
Windows Vista x64 Edition are allotted 8 TB in virtual memory for user
processes and 8 TB for kernel processes to create a virtual memory of 16 TB.
http://zone.ni.com/devzone/cda/tut/p/id/5709


Some info on a popular title in 64-bit…

Adobe Photoshop® Extended and Acrobat® Pro natively support 64-bit editions
of Windows Vista. Adobe Premiere® Pro, After Effects®, Soundbooth®, Encore®,
and Adobe OnLocationâ„¢ are certified on 64-bit Windows Vista.
http://www.adobe.com/products/creativesuite/mastercollection/systemreqs/

Adobe CS4 is 64-bit only on Vista. OSX have to wait for CS5 or something
like that when they catch up.
http://www.betanews.com/article/Adobe_CS4_will_be_64bit_but_only_on_Windows/1207258861

To put things in perspective, this is what 64-bit does...

What are the advantages of 64-bit computing?
In early testing of 64-bit support in Photoshop for Windows®, overall
performance gains ranged from 8% to 12%. Those who work with extremely large
files may realize noticeably greater gains in performance, in some cases as
dramatic as ten times the previous speed. This is because 64-bit applications
can address larger amounts of memory and thus result in less file swapping —
one of the biggest factors that can affect data processing speed.
http://www.adobe.com/products/photoshop/photoshop/faq/?promoid=DRHXB

Vista Compatibility Wiki:
http://iexbeta.com/wiki/index.php/Windows_Vista_Software_Compatibility_List