OS decision 32/64 bit

[DougMcDonald]

Quick yes/no question here guys, If I'm getting an E6600 shortly, is it worth moving to XP-64bit, or is there no real benefit when compared to using the 32 bit version?

Any comments welcome, what will i lose using 32 bit, what will i gain using 64? etc etc

[aidanjt]

32bit) Lose extra registers, no support for 64bit virtual machines, can't address more than 4Gb on most systems.
64bit) the above. Disadvantages, can't run 16bit apps (boo hoo).

[DougMcDonald]

Hmm, interesing points, I'm not too attached to 16 bit apps! So I'll aquire a 64 bit copy

[tigerboyce]

64 bit is a wiser choice

[saltynay]

vista or xp are we talking about??? Vista its worth it as it loves ram. Xp marginal difference just go for whichever is cheaper

[Splash]

There's also the standard advice about ensuring decent 64 bit drivers are available for your hardware if going 64 bit.

[Blitzen]

64 bit drivers are all there if you have the time to find them.

Also, buying XP in any format is a step backwards and a waste of cash imho.

Vista is fully supported and runs great so why buy an OS that is 7-8- years old?

[DougMcDonald]

In terms of O/S I have an xp pro 32 bit and 64 bit which is covered by a company license, so money does not come into the equation in this situation.

I can also get a copy of vista if need be, but i'm unlikley to top 4GB ram which makes me think it may just be easier to go with what i know for the time being.

I run vista at work and have a few niggles with how it looks/where things are placed (but then again i'm someone who always sets his XP to look like 98 and doesn't have a lot of interest in the flashy translucent menus or build in co-ordinated media stuff)

I will probably make the switch at some point, but for the same of this thread, I was talking XP 32 bit vs XP 64 bit

[Dreaming]

XP 32 is much better than XP 64. There's just not much support for XP 64 as far as I'm aware. But then again, not used it personally, and more drivers are coming out all the time.

[aidanjt]

XP x64 has plenty of drivers for common hardware now. Hard to know whether there'll be drivers for everything, but Vista 64bit will have a much better chance, if you don't mind the broken audio support.

[Agrippa]

There's a significant difference between XP 32 and XP 64, since the latter is built on on the Server 2003 SP 1 kernel, providing an entirely different level of stability compared to the vanilla flavour. I've been running Server 2003 for the last 2.5-3 years (well, until I recently decided to test Vista, which wasn't the brightest idea I've ever had) and it's a very different beast compared to XP 32 which I ran before that. I'll be moving to XP 64 in a couple of weeks myself and I won't be touching Vista again until SP1 arrives.

[Mithrandir]

I've been use XP 64 for a while now and it's very nice.

I'm also using Win 98 which thinking about it is a decade old

At work I use XP pro which is nice.

At home I'm going to setup another PC with my spare parts to replace my Win98 PC and I'm gonna (try) set up a dual boot with XP (32bit) and Linux (Suse 10.2, or possibly Ubuntu)
Would like to see how Vista is though, but there doesn't seem to be anything in it for me at this present time although in about 3-5 yrs time I reckon I'll make the switch.

I think XP is best for my DX9 card and for gaming

[Agrippa]

Unless you're a gamer who absolutely has to run the newest games under DX10 I fail to what Vista has to offer in any respect whatsoever. Later, when there are working drivers for everything and all/most of the glitches has been ironed out (SP1 in other words), then sure, but before then it's not worth it if you value a functional and mature OS over the ability to run Crysis or whatever in DX10.

[Blitzen]

but before then it's not worth it if you value a functional and mature OS

Mature its not...but functional????
What are you on about?

Its fine and works well.

You are maiking suppositions rather than listening to the people that actually use it.
I bet if i gave you a full licensed version of Vista you would use it without hesitation.

[Agrippa]

Actually dude, I am using it (for now) so I'm listening to myself. If I was speaking for someone else, I'd just say so. And there's no need to give me a thing, since there's a fully licensed copy of Ultimate right above me in the bookshelf as I'm typing this. It's neither fine, nor working well here.

[saltynay]

you can send it to me if you want.........