The 64-bit desktop and you.

MediaManMediaMan Powered by loose parts.
edited February 2006 in Science & Tech
Coming to grips with “64-bit and you” is a challenge for the average PC user. Most people use a pc but they don’t understand it. This is a layman’s guide to 64-bit. It doesn’t get mired in the technical double-speak. It won’t finish the 64-bit debate one way or the other. Most certainly there will be some broad strokes. This is the middle ground between “I don’t know” and “That’s too much.”

Read it here

Comments

  • RWBRWB Icrontian
    edited April 2004
    Nothing new to me, but I have a few MAC friends I may show that too ;)
  • JimboraeJimborae Newbury, Berks, UK New
    edited April 2004
    Thanx, exactly wot I needed. Great article MM.
  • bannock500bannock500 wiarton willy country (ontario) New
    edited December 2005
    Thanks for the info about 64 bits proccessors. Never was really interested in them as of yet. Still like the 32 bit stuff. Good article. Will wait for OS to come out with 64 bit capabilities. By the sounds of it we still have a few years to wait. Again good info.

    Thanks Bannock
  • GrayFoxGrayFox /dev/urandom Member
    edited December 2005
    Windows X64 is already out and it has pretty much all hardware supported now.
  • TexTex Dallas/Ft. Worth
    edited January 2006
    actually you are wrong about Intels 64bit line.

    You said "Intel is incorporating 64-bit extensions into the Xeon line of processors which will allow 32-bit/32-bit "legacy mode", a 32-bit/64-bit "compatibility mode" and a full 64-bit/64-bit mode. These processors are targeted mainly at server and workstation environments. It’s becoming obvious that Intel is putting their 64-bit efforts into the server marketplace which they have dominated in comparison to AMD. As to an Intel 64-bit processor for the desktop there are confirmations and denials galore. There are no announcements from Intel about a 64-bit processor for the desktop but rumors abound and one such rumor has it that Intel may introduce 64-bit processors for the desktop and mobile market around the time Windows Longhorn is released"

    But actually..... They have P4's right now Intel says they target at the desktop that are 64bit. At least they show them on their website now as current products.

    http://www.intel.com/products/processor/pentium4/index.htm

    scroll down to the part that says

    "Scalability and performance with Intel® EM64TΦ
    Intel® Extended Memory 64 TechnologyΦ (Intel® EM64T) can improve performance by allowing the system to address more than 4 GB of both virtual and physical memory. Intel EM64T also provides support for 64 bit computing to help handle the applications of tomorrow"

    Meaning they run the same 64bit version of XP or Win2k3 as the AMD64 processors. I have a dual xeon 64bit and a dual opteron 64 bit as well as 3 other amd 64bit single cpu rigs and I favor the AMD's but Intel does indeed have p4 64bit cpu's targeted for the desktop on their website.

    This link compares their desktop cpu line features and I think in just glancing quickly MOST p4 versions they offer now are 64bit capable in some form it appears.

    http://indigo.intel.com/compare_cpu/default.aspx?familyID=1

    Cheers

    Tex
  • tmh88tmh88 Pittsburgh / Athens, OH
    edited January 2006
    if you read on the bottom of page 2, it says it was taken directly from www.amd.com
  • TexTex Dallas/Ft. Worth
    edited January 2006
    tmh88 wrote:
    if you read on the bottom of page 2, it says it was taken directly from www.amd.com

    That is mentioned multiple times directly below a section directly pertaining to AMD procesors.

    Has nothing to do with the section on Intel processors. Read it again. Or we can basically assume the whole thing was lifted from the AMD website and thats not how MM writes these. He directly quoted AMD's site as a information source about direct quotes about AMD cpu's only. Why would you quote AMD's site about Intel cpu's for gawds sake? MM is not that dumb.

    He just made a simple mistake and I was trying to nicely correct him. xeons are not the only Intel 64bit capable cpu's and they are not targeted just as servers. This isnt that hard.

    Tex

    I just read the 3'rd page and as mentioned above you can buy 64bit versions of Windows today for the AMD and Intel x64 lines. They are not just in beta anymore.

    The link provided to download XP64 is not for a "beta" release. Its for a time limited "trial version". I beta tested a ton of the "beta" versions and this is far more complete!
  • LeonardoLeonardo Wake up and smell the glaciers Eagle River, Alaska Icrontian
    edited January 2006
    My Pentium D820 (System 4) supposedly is EMT64. Good? Bad? Will it work? Don't really know - don't really care. It's just hard for me to get excited about this topic when, even if someone to hand me a sealed, boxed CD Windows 64-bit...what would I do with it...what would it accomplish for me the home user that ordinary WinXP wouldn't? In the future, sure, but not now.
  • TexTex Dallas/Ft. Worth
    edited January 2006
    it may not do anything in the future Leo. I mean more and more software will be optimized for the 64bit platform but..... What is the typical home user doing with Win XP that they couldnt do with win98 and a 486 really?

    Surf the web? email a little? Do some word docs and excel? Sure XP is a little more stable. And Lonhorn/Vista will be cooler but...

    Would you go back to win98?

    I didnt think so.

    tex
  • LeonardoLeonardo Wake up and smell the glaciers Eagle River, Alaska Icrontian
    edited January 2006
    Would you go back to win98?
    Ha ha, I'd rather start me Army career over. (Well, not really. Once was enough - for both '98 and the Army.)

    Point taken.

    What I was trying to imply is that I won't be on a search for 64-bit anything. I'll just let it happen, let others more bold adopt first! :D
  • ThelemechThelemech Victoria Icrontian
    edited February 2006
    :wave: I'm waiting for 256 Bit. :beer::wtf:

    Seriously I see a MAJOR difference between my 3.0GHz64BIt and My 2.4GHz32BIT systems.
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