64 bit computing is here to stay

    I just need to say that I'm getting tired of people who argue against 64 bit. We should not need to defend 64 bit because of it's memory advantanges...


    64 bit computing is not a hype, it the natural evolution of computing and will woon surpass 32 bit as the standard, if it hasn't already done so.


    In the end, it's not about if your music will imrpove with 64 bit or that you need more ram for music, it's simply that 64 bit is the future, and for those buying new computers, it just doesn't make sense to buy a 32 bit OS at this point.


    During my research for a new PC laptop, I noticed that 90% of computers now ship with 64 bit OS. If you really want 32 bit, you can still get it but I would guess for not too much longer.


    The analogie I can think of is when touch-tone telephones were replaing the rotary phones. Sure you could stay with the rotary phone, it did everything you needed, but why would you? Eventually the technology of the touch-tone provided caller-ID and other tools that were impossible to have with the rotary phone. To me, those who argue for 32 bit are those who argue for the rotary technology and are living in the dark.


    In a few years almost all computers will be running 64 bit.


    Araz

    Zitat von araz

    During my research for a new PC laptop, I noticed that 90% of computers now ship with 64 bit OS. If you really want 32 bit, you can still get it but I would guess for not too much longer.


    Do you have a citation for that?



    Zitat von araz

    Eventually the technology of the touch-tone provided caller-ID and other tools that were impossible to have with the rotary phone.


    You didnt need a digital phone to touch tone (technically), and it was digital integrated circuitry that provided caller-ID, nothing specifically related to touch tone...




    It does seem that the transition form 32-bit to 64-bit is rather more traumatic than from 16 to 32 - or maybe i'm just too young to remember. One thing is for sure, 64-bit platforms were made available well before they were needed as the industry demanded backward compatibility - which has not quite been addressed (other than enhanced, hardware supported virtualisation).


    Finally push has come to shove and the size of ram and techniques for programming have been somewhat depleted and newer instructions and more ram have become available - whether or not 64-bit will provide 'faster' computing compared to 32-bit is a bit fuzzy to answer (higher precision, yes, faster, maybe not...).


    Programmers have a lot on their plate at the moment, and none of it is being made easy to stomach - they have multi-core thrown at them from one direction, with no real programming platform to use that actually makes proper use of more than two cores (that is, one for the OS)...


    From the other direction they have this 64-bit thing standing there, waiting, not really providing any promise of making their products work better, but taunting of more complex drivers and the rist of being a 'dinosaur' for not adopting it the moment it got there...


    32-bit works ok today. If you got a 64-bit operating system already, you got it earlier than maybe you should have done - it's always best to wait a bit with these things to let the dust settle. Tomorrow or a little later you will have all the 64-bit drivers you could wave an ethernet cable at, probably made for hardware that was developed with 64-bit in mind...


    If you are stuck with 64-bit now, then you will simply have to make do without VC for a month or two - I had to do that when i first got my virus, big deal...