64-bit Windows XP?

[General Lee]

I was offered a 64-bit version of Windows XP (SP1) the last time I updated my system on the Windows website. They offer it for free (just pay shipping) because it has not been tested on the general population.

Has anyone tried this & if so, what were the results? I expect the CD in the mail any day now but am unsure if I want my 1st build to be a guinea pig or not...

I vaguely understand the benefit of 64-bit software but since I am a novice about such things any light that can be shed on the matter will be appreciated.

[EzyStvy]

It's very possible it will be a 60 to 120 day EVAL copy. Read the fine print.

[Statica]

I have 2 pieces of advice for you 1) make sure you test out your system with the stable version of Windows XP - aka the 32bit version. 2) Dont be surprised if there are bugs with the 64-bit version 2003 it is an evaluation version.

[General Lee]

Statica,
My system has been running the 32-bit version of XP for 3 weeks now. Is this long enough to determine if the system is stable or not? I have had no weird things happen yet...

[doctorgonzo]

I'd say three weeks is long enough to know if the system is good. If you install the 64-bit version of Windows, don't use it for anything important or anything that you can't replace (for example, make backups of all your files and avoid playing with critical data within Windows). You never know what may happen, and it is better to be safe than sorry.