Vista 64 or XP 64

[Guest]

Im planning on buying a new computer soon I need advise on a few issues
before deciding my OS.

#1). Does running a 32bit program in a 64bit OS use extra RAM-Ive been told
(by an anon) source it doubles the ram usage?

#2). Are nVidia's 64bit drivers stable enough to play video games?

#3). Does Office XP run on either Vista 64 or XP 64?

#4). Can I download and try either of these products for a few days before
purchasing them?

 

[Jupiter Jones [MVP]]

1. I do not know, but I doubt it is as extreme you heard.

2. Unsure
Most report games are best played on 32 bit since the drivers are
usually better.
But you would be better off asking this question in a forum specific
to the particular game.

3. Yes

4. No downloads yet, but if you purchase retail:
Windows Vista Ultimate - You get both DVDs, 32 bit and a 64 bit DVD
Home Basic, Home Premium and Business, you get a 32 bit DVD and an
option to order 64 bit for a small cost.
In all cases, you can order your version on CDs.
If you live in North America, retail can be returned directly to
Microsoft within 45 days.

For OEM, you get what you pay for.
Normally OEM comes with 32 bit or 64 bit and not both.
There is no option to order the other.
Check with the seller for more information.
One of the many reasons OEM costs less than retail.

Also see:
http://www3.telus.net/dandemar/vistaget.htm

 

[DP]

Jupiter: He was asking for comparisons between 64-bit Vista and 64-bit XP,
not between 32-bit and 64-bit Vista.

 

[Saucy]

Im planning on buying a new computer soon I need advise on a few issues
before deciding my OS.

#1). Does running a 32bit program in a 64bit OS use extra RAM-Ive been
told
(by an anon) source it doubles the ram usage?

#2). Are nVidia's 64bit drivers stable enough to play video games?

#3). Does Office XP run on either Vista 64 or XP 64?

#4). Can I download and try either of these products for a few days
before
purchasing them?

Ronis:

There's a good website dedicated to 64-bit computing:

www.planetamd64.com

You might sign up for the forums even if you are using an Intel EM64T
processor [as "EM64T" is technically Intels implementations of AMD64].

Anyway there's lots of discussion on XP Professional 64-bit and Vista
64-bit.

Saucy

 

[Jupiter Jones [MVP]]

From the OPs Q1:
"Does running a 32bit program..."

 

[DP]

Is that supposed to prove that you didn't confuse the OP's quesion?
Why not quote the whole sentence: "#1). Does running a 32bit program in a
64bit OS use extra RAM-Ive been told
(by an anon) source it doubles the ram usage?"

It's clear he's talking about 64-bit OSes.
If that's not clear enough, look at the subject line: Vista 64 or XP 64