Number 267 - August 2005

What Do I Get With 64-Bit Windows?
by Brian K. Lewis, Ph.D., Sarasota Personal Computer Users Group
Microsoft has just released, at the end of May, their Windows XP Pro x64. This is the 64-bit version of the current 32-bit Operating System. It is not available on any retail shelves and there will be no Home version of it. In order to get it, you need the OEM version and the hardware to run it. If you already have a computer with a 64-bit processor Microsoft will send you a free copy of XP Pro x64 for the cost of shipping. There is a catch. You must have purchased Windows XP Pro as a full retail, OEM or system builder version. And, your hardware must have been purchased or built between March 31, 2003 and July 31, 2005. So, the question becomes, is there any advantage to getting this x64 version now or should you wait until "Longhorn" arrives on the scene next year? (Longhorn is Microsoft's code name for the next major upgrade to Windows XP.)    In order to answer this question we need to look at the differences between the 32-bit and 64-bit computing. Also, there needs to be some consideration of the hardware requirements and the availability of 64-bit software. So, onward and upward!    Those of us that have been around computing for awhile, us "computer old-timers", remember the 70's when computers were based on 8 bit processors (or 4 bit in some cases). Since a bit represents the smallest amount of digital information, a 1 or 0, eight bits constituted a digital word. Then with improvements in CPU structure, we went to 16 bit processors about 1982. That simply meant that the processor could handle two words or a double word in one pass. There were other important changes, but they were important mainly to programmers. That is where we were when Windows 3.1 was released in 1990.    The next jump was to 32-bit computing with Windows 95 designed to make full use of the capabilities of the available 32-bit processors. Those of you involved in this transition may remember all the problems involved with getting 32-bit drivers for your hardware. The same problem will exist for early adopters of XP Pro x64. Now, the advantage of 32-bit over 16-bit was not primarily in processing speed. Instead, the most significant advantages were in the amount of RAM that could be accessed and the size of hard disks. As Windows 95 matured into Windows 98, and the motherboard chipsets were upgraded, we were able to start using hard drives larger than 2.1 GB.    Then with the introduction of Windows XP the amount of RAM memory that could be addressed increased to 4 GB. Now hold on to your hats. A 64-bit processor can address 16 Exabytes of RAM or hard disk space. That is 16 million Gigabytes! I suspect that will suffice for a few more years.    Considering that it has taken Microsoft 10 years to produce a 64-bit OS, we may not be in line for a rapid change to a 128-bit operating system. Although a 64-bit processor can address all this memory, Microsoft has indicated that XP Pro x64 will be limited to 128 GB in the first shipping version. Since many of you probably have only 128 MB in your current computer, just think about having one with a 1,000 times more RAM.    There is a definite advantage to having large amounts of RAM in your system. For one it reduces the swapping of information with the virtual memory portion of the hard drive. Drives are really very slow compared to the time required to move data to and from RAM. So in actuality, the primary benefit of 64-bit computing will be the speed of data access. This is why the early adopters of 64-bit systems will be software developers; graphic designers, CAD-CAM systems, video professionals and those who use scientific applications require large spreadsheets and data calculations. That presumes that their hardware will support the larger amounts of RAM. Some of today's systems that support both 32-bit and 64-bit software are "crippled' in the sense that they are still using a 4 GB limit on RAM.    Now, what do you need if you really want to jump into 64-bit computing right now? First, you need a computer with a 64-bit processor, a motherboard that supports 64-bit processing, 64-bit compatible sound & graphics cards with 64-bit drivers, and a printer with a 64-bit driver. None of today's 32-bit drivers will install on XP Pro x64. Although the OS ships	with some 15,000 64-bit drivers, it doesn't cover the entire field. Some scanners, printers, cameras and other peripherals lack the necessary drivers. These may show up in time. However, some hardware manufacturers may include them only with new versions of their products.    When it comes to 64-bit processors, AMD has had them available for workstations since 2003. The Intel 64-bit line, the Itanium, was designed for use in servers. Whereas the AMD series is both 32-bit and 64-bit compatible, the Itanium will run only 64-bit software. Just this year Intel has produced a 64-bit Xeon chip that works with XP Pro x64. It will run both 32-bit and 64-bit software. This processor supports a 2 MB cache and an 800 mHz front-side bus. Intel refers to its 64-bit processors as EM64T or Extended Memory 64 Technology. According to information I obtained from several sources, there is no real difference between the AMD 64 and Intel EM64T processors, except in name. 32 and 64-bit software will run identically on either chip.    Later this year both AMD and Intel expect to release 64 bit chips with dual cores. Intel refers to theirs as multi-core, intimating that more than two may be in future versions. The advantages of the multi-core processor are faster data handling with less heat production. So, if you jump to a new computer now, you may miss out on the next major jump in CPU technology.    Another thing to consider is whether you have any DOS or 16-bit software that you depend on in your current setup. XP Pro x64 will NOT run any 16-bit installers, software or drivers. It also will not run any DOS programs. To really take advantage of your hardware you will need to upgrade to 64-bit software. All of this is a major consideration for early adopters. Another consideration is that many of the major hardware/software manufacturers have not scheduled or announced 64 bit versions of their products. They may be waiting for "Longhorn"; Microsoft's next upgrade of Windows XP that is supposed to be "mainstream" 64-bit computing. By that, they mean it will be an upgrade path for the Home version as well as the Professional version.    Microsoft has also indicated that XP Pro x64 will not include their Product Activation, NetMeeting, Windows Media Player, Remote Assistance, Power Management Sleep States, Infrared, or Native support for CD burning. Some of these functions may show up in the future and may be available as free downloads. Please note the operative word, may.    Microsoft has indicated that the transition to 64-bit computing will take several years. I would definitely agree with that. After all, how many of you are still running Windows 98? I hope none of you are still using Windows 95, but occasionally I find a user with that OS still on their computer. My suggestion is to wait to make the shift after Longhorn arrives. In the meantime, you can buy 64-bit hardware if you wish since these computers will run your current software. After the 64-bit OS stabilizes, and more 64-bit software is available, you can continue your upgrade. That is what I intend to do, especially since I am just now putting the finishing touches on a new system with hyper-threading and SATA drives. No way I am going to discard this for a 64-bit system. At least not for a few months anyway! So unless you are involved with really large scale computing, the choice at this time would seem to be just watch and wait for Longhorn and the availability of 64-bit drivers and software.    Dr. Lewis is a former university & medical school professor. He has been working with personal computers for more than thirty years. He can be reached via e-mail at bwsail@yahoo.com.    Copyright 2005. This article is from the July 2005 issue of the Sarasota PC Monitor, the official monthly publication of the Sarasota Personal Computer Users Group, Inc., P.O. Box 15889, Sarasota, FL 34277-1889. Permission to reprint is granted only to other non-profit computer user groups, provided proper credit is given to the author and our publication.
Number 267 - August 2005