Comments on: Does 32-Bit Have A Future? http://www.pcmech.com/article/does-32-bit-have-a-future/ Helping Normal People Get Their Geek On Sun, 22 Nov 2009 13:07:33 -0500 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.5 hourly 1 By: Jeremy http://www.pcmech.com/article/does-32-bit-have-a-future/comment-page-1/#comment-23635 Jeremy Mon, 27 Apr 2009 17:08:32 +0000 http://www.pcmech.com/article/does-32-bit-have-a-future/#comment-23635 Personally i think that 32 bit is dead. You can barely doing anything with it, and you can barely upgrade it. 64bit is now the way to go because you can do alot more with it and i do mean alot more. Personally i am with everyone else here. I wish someone would enforce the sale of 64bit pcs and get rid of 32bit pcs. This is because 32bit os can't handle todays new technology. Its dead and lets just move on!! Personally i think that 32 bit is dead. You can barely doing anything with it, and you can barely upgrade it. 64bit is now the way to go because you can do alot more with it and i do mean alot more. Personally i am with everyone else here. I wish someone would enforce the sale of 64bit pcs and get rid of 32bit pcs.

This is because 32bit os can’t handle todays new technology. Its dead and lets just move on!!

]]> By: Vertimyst http://www.pcmech.com/article/does-32-bit-have-a-future/comment-page-1/#comment-23594 Vertimyst Sat, 25 Apr 2009 15:53:09 +0000 http://www.pcmech.com/article/does-32-bit-have-a-future/#comment-23594 Exactly - there's a choice. Your friend had to be specific even though he had purchased 64-bit-capable hardware. Therefore, so long as there's a choice, most people will likely end up buying 32-bit, since they likely won't know/won't care about 64-bit. So it's as I said before - in order for 64-bit to have a solid future (not just alongside 32 as it is now), it has to utterly and completely, /forcefully replace/ the competition (32-bit). Exactly – there’s a choice. Your friend had to be specific even though he had purchased 64-bit-capable hardware.

Therefore, so long as there’s a choice, most people will likely end up buying 32-bit, since they likely won’t know/won’t care about 64-bit. So it’s as I said before – in order for 64-bit to have a solid future (not just alongside 32 as it is now), it has to utterly and completely, /forcefully replace/ the competition (32-bit).

]]> By: marc http://www.pcmech.com/article/does-32-bit-have-a-future/comment-page-1/#comment-23552 marc Thu, 23 Apr 2009 17:03:52 +0000 http://www.pcmech.com/article/does-32-bit-have-a-future/#comment-23552 There are already a lot of 64-bit machines out there, straight from the OEMs. I extolled the virtues of 64-bit memory addressing to a friend who remembered some of what I said and bought a Dell laptop with 4 GB RAM. It also came with 64-bit hardware without him specifying it. He ordered Vista Business and because he wasn't specific beyond that, wound up with 32-bit Vista Business whereas 64-bit is available. I've converted HP and Compaq machines that came with 64-bit hardware and 32-bit Vista to XP x64. HP will even direct you to XP drivers for their machines if you know where to look for the info. In some cases, though, the drivers are 32-bit so you have to look a little further. The 64-bit hardware is here. The problem is getting the manufacturers to include the 64-bit O/S. There are already a lot of 64-bit machines out there, straight from the OEMs.

I extolled the virtues of 64-bit memory addressing to a friend who remembered some of what I said and bought a Dell laptop with 4 GB RAM. It also came with 64-bit hardware without him specifying it. He ordered Vista Business and because he wasn’t specific beyond that, wound up with 32-bit Vista Business whereas 64-bit is available.

I’ve converted HP and Compaq machines that came with 64-bit hardware and 32-bit Vista to XP x64. HP will even direct you to XP drivers for their machines if you know where to look for the info. In some cases, though, the drivers are 32-bit so you have to look a little further.

The 64-bit hardware is here. The problem is getting the manufacturers to include the 64-bit O/S.

]]> By: Vertimyst http://www.pcmech.com/article/does-32-bit-have-a-future/comment-page-1/#comment-23551 Vertimyst Thu, 23 Apr 2009 16:48:27 +0000 http://www.pcmech.com/article/does-32-bit-have-a-future/#comment-23551 For 64-bit to go mainstream, I think hardware manufacturers need to enforce it, not just provide it as an option. Even if software developers provide 64-bit software, without forcing people to use 64-bit hardware, many will just stick to 32-bit - the majority of these people being the everyday users that simply browse, surf, check email, etc. As has been said, the only people who will upgrade are the ones who need 64-bit, and those are usually the people who write the 64-bit software. Thus, a catch-22 - people who use 64-bit software are the ones who write it on 64-bit hardware. Everyone else will continue to use 32-bit. Long story short, if manufacturers like Dell, HP, and others built their computers (I'm talking pre-built, not just the parts people which usually only appeal to gamers and the like, i.e, the ones who are already 64-bit) using only 64-bit hardware, only then would 64-bit become the future. Only then. For 64-bit to go mainstream, I think hardware manufacturers need to enforce it, not just provide it as an option. Even if software developers provide 64-bit software, without forcing people to use 64-bit hardware, many will just stick to 32-bit – the majority of these people being the everyday users that simply browse, surf, check email, etc.

As has been said, the only people who will upgrade are the ones who need 64-bit, and those are usually the people who write the 64-bit software. Thus, a catch-22 – people who use 64-bit software are the ones who write it on 64-bit hardware. Everyone else will continue to use 32-bit.

Long story short, if manufacturers like Dell, HP, and others built their computers (I’m talking pre-built, not just the parts people which usually only appeal to gamers and the like, i.e, the ones who are already 64-bit) using only 64-bit hardware, only then would 64-bit become the future. Only then.

]]> By: marc http://www.pcmech.com/article/does-32-bit-have-a-future/comment-page-1/#comment-23427 marc Sun, 19 Apr 2009 02:26:56 +0000 http://www.pcmech.com/article/does-32-bit-have-a-future/#comment-23427 If you're like a lot of people and use your computer for word processing, web surfing and email, 64-bit is not going to benefit you. If, however, you multi-task with a number of high memory use applications running all at once, and don't want to wait around for things to happen, then there is great benefit to 64-bit. A 32-bit processor and O/S can address 3.3 GB of memory. That's pretty limited, especially when you're running a RAM-intensive O/S like Vista, and a lot of others apps simultaneously. Lack of memory is what slows things down. Over time, computers will need the ability to address more memory, since new applications and operating systems will require it. Vista, for example, needs 2 GB RAM to be as fast as an XP box with 1 GB RAM. A 64-bit processor and O/S can address 64 GB of memory, although the hardware for that is not yet available. You can run 16 GB RAM with hardware available today. Mobos are available that are designed to support much more memory than that. A quad-core x64 machine with 8 GB RAM is phenomenally fast. You can run a dozen apps simultaneously without slowing it down. For people doing video editing, or graphics and web design, a 64-bit machine with lots of memory will allow them to be more productive, because the machine will respond much faster under multitask conditions than a 32-bit machine will. That's the benefit. If you’re like a lot of people and use your computer for word processing, web surfing and email, 64-bit is not going to benefit you. If, however, you multi-task with a number of high memory use applications running all at once, and don’t want to wait around for things to happen, then there is great benefit to 64-bit.

A 32-bit processor and O/S can address 3.3 GB of memory. That’s pretty limited, especially when you’re running a RAM-intensive O/S like Vista, and a lot of others apps simultaneously. Lack of memory is what slows things down.

Over time, computers will need the ability to address more memory, since new applications and operating systems will require it. Vista, for example, needs 2 GB RAM to be as fast as an XP box with 1 GB RAM.

A 64-bit processor and O/S can address 64 GB of memory, although the hardware for that is not yet available. You can run 16 GB RAM with hardware available today. Mobos are available that are designed to support much more memory than that.

A quad-core x64 machine with 8 GB RAM is phenomenally fast. You can run a dozen apps simultaneously without slowing it down.

For people doing video editing, or graphics and web design, a 64-bit machine with lots of memory will allow them to be more productive, because the machine will respond much faster under multitask conditions than a 32-bit machine will.

That’s the benefit.

]]> By: David M http://www.pcmech.com/article/does-32-bit-have-a-future/comment-page-1/#comment-23426 David M Sun, 19 Apr 2009 01:37:41 +0000 http://www.pcmech.com/article/does-32-bit-have-a-future/#comment-23426 If you want people to upgrade then provide something that is significantly better...not just marginally better, which seems to be the case over the last few generations of operating systems. If you want people to upgrade then provide something that is significantly better…not just marginally better, which seems to be the case over the last few generations of operating systems.

]]> By: David M http://www.pcmech.com/article/does-32-bit-have-a-future/comment-page-1/#comment-23425 David M Sun, 19 Apr 2009 01:34:50 +0000 http://www.pcmech.com/article/does-32-bit-have-a-future/#comment-23425 Does a word processing application like MS Word even need to be 64 bit? I never found Word to be slow even when I was using a 80386 CPU to run it. I cant imagine people standing in line to buy a new 64 bit computer the day Microsoft releases a new 64 bit office suite. The only time most people seem to upgrade is when there is software out there that they want that their old computer cannot run. I'm not talking about computer geeks who like to upgrade because to them upgrading is fun and great entertainment. I mean real folks who use their computers to run business applications because they have a business to run. I know of a few businesses that run XP 32 because it works for them. To them it makes no sense to upgrade and possibly screw everything up. There is nothing worth upgrading to that would make their business more efficient or profitable either. I think 32 bit is going to be here for a long time despite what the geeks and the computer software corporations want everybody else to upgrade to. Does a word processing application like MS Word even need to be 64 bit? I never found Word to be slow even when I was using a 80386 CPU to run it.

I cant imagine people standing in line to buy a new 64 bit computer the day Microsoft releases a new 64 bit office suite.

The only time most people seem to upgrade is when there is software out there that they want that their old computer cannot run. I’m not talking about computer geeks who like to upgrade because to them upgrading is fun and great entertainment. I mean real folks who use their computers to run business applications because they have a business to run. I know of a few businesses that run XP 32 because it works for them. To them it makes no sense to upgrade and possibly screw everything up. There is nothing worth upgrading to that would make their business more efficient or profitable either.

I think 32 bit is going to be here for a long time despite what the geeks and the computer software corporations want everybody else to upgrade to.

]]> By: Steve http://www.pcmech.com/article/does-32-bit-have-a-future/comment-page-1/#comment-23416 Steve Sat, 18 Apr 2009 11:10:56 +0000 http://www.pcmech.com/article/does-32-bit-have-a-future/#comment-23416 The primary reason I didn't upgrade recently to 64 bit was Office had reported problems ... this is good news and I think will entice others to develop applications for 64 bit. The primary reason I didn’t upgrade recently to 64 bit was Office had reported problems … this is good news and I think will entice others to develop applications for 64 bit.

]]> By: marc http://www.pcmech.com/article/does-32-bit-have-a-future/comment-page-1/#comment-23386 marc Thu, 16 Apr 2009 20:57:24 +0000 http://www.pcmech.com/article/does-32-bit-have-a-future/#comment-23386 On my XP x64 box I'm running Diskeeper x64, IE7 x64, 7-Zip x64, Photoshop CS4 x64, Peer Guardian2 x64, FullShot 9 x64, TeraCopy x64 and Comodo Internet Security x64. I'm giving Comodo the boot, though, in favor of ESET Smart Security x64. In addition to those, I run well over a hundred x86 applications. The two 32-bit apps I've encountered that wouldn't install on this machine were so inconsequential I can't even remember what they were. I'm dating myself, but I do remember the debates over whether or not 256 MB RAM was too much memory. This is an extension of that. It's a given that as software evolves it requires more memory. The more memory you have, the more software you can run at one time. A multi-core x64 processor and 8 GB RAM is blazingly fast for multitasking, and has a very, very clear advantage over 32-bit, which can't even address a full 4 GB RAM. If you earn your living on a computer, and need to multitask several RAM-hogging apps at once while being as productive as possible, there's no question that 64-bit is the way to go. On my XP x64 box I’m running Diskeeper x64, IE7 x64, 7-Zip x64, Photoshop CS4 x64, Peer Guardian2 x64, FullShot 9 x64, TeraCopy x64 and Comodo Internet Security x64. I’m giving Comodo the boot, though, in favor of ESET Smart Security x64.

In addition to those, I run well over a hundred x86 applications. The two 32-bit apps I’ve encountered that wouldn’t install on this machine were so inconsequential I can’t even remember what they were.

I’m dating myself, but I do remember the debates over whether or not 256 MB RAM was too much memory. This is an extension of that.

It’s a given that as software evolves it requires more memory. The more memory you have, the more software you can run at one time. A multi-core x64 processor and 8 GB RAM is blazingly fast for multitasking, and has a very, very clear advantage over 32-bit, which can’t even address a full 4 GB RAM.

If you earn your living on a computer, and need to multitask several RAM-hogging apps at once while being as productive as possible, there’s no question that 64-bit is the way to go.

]]> By: Greg http://www.pcmech.com/article/does-32-bit-have-a-future/comment-page-1/#comment-23367 Greg Thu, 16 Apr 2009 02:57:04 +0000 http://www.pcmech.com/article/does-32-bit-have-a-future/#comment-23367 Yay for Microsoft. Yay for Microsoft.

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