Contemplating the move to 64 bit....?

[Naja]

Hi Everybody,

I've been contemplating the move to 64-bit for a while. Not really interested in paying $300 for a copy of Vista, so I'm thinking XP Pro 64-bit.

If I do this, it would be on an upgraded pc, so is there any reason these days not to.....? Would Vista 64 bit actually be a better choice? I can upgrade to XP Pro 64 for probably $60-80 out-of-pocket...it would be ~$230 out-of-pocket for me to upgrade to Vista......


Any thoughts on this.....?


TIA

[Alaron]

What are you reasons for the move? The increased RAM cap or do you have 64bit programs you need to run?

[Naja]

Just the increased ram, supposedly a bit faster and more stable....and it seems to be were things are headed (64-bit). I really don't want to move to Vista just yet, and really don't want to shell out the extra $$$ for it. I like XP and am thinking I would like XP 64, plus it would be a considerably cheaper "upgrade", and I may happily ride it to Windows 7 and just skip Vista altogether......

Also, if (when) I build a new pc the components today are more 64-bit compatible.....


No specific reason. Just trying to sort out what to do, when to do it, how to do it, yada, yada, yada...... Thinking 64-bit would be a good step forward over the long haul.....

[shadowpr]

I've heard that driver support for xp 64 wasn't that great. I have vista 64, and can say that the driver support is pretty good. Haven't had a problem yet.

And you can get it a lot sheeper then that. Get an OEM: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16832116204

[Naja]

Ok, so 64-bit Vista is suddenly looking more attractive.......

So, the usual: Don't game, rarely do any intensive graphics (video editing), mainly use the system for surfing, email, streaming video, watch movies, etc. I've been concerned about the lack of support with XP 64, so that is/was kinda the root of my question concerning XP v Vista.

I will build a pc that I fully expect to get 5 yrs use out of. Over that time I am interested in a Home Theater based setup, not a gaming rig. I would like to ultimately like to hook up my pc to an HDTV and use it for both TV and pc.

When I build a new pc, I can max out the ram and do well on 32-bit XP (3-4gb ram) I believe. But is 64-bit something I should really consider for the long haul? Or should I just put it on the back burner for a while (1yr?, 2?, 3?)

[glc]

Don't game, rarely do any intensive graphics (video editing), mainly use the system for surfing, email, streaming video, watch movies, etc.

I don't see any compelling reason there to use a 64 bit OS.