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64-Bit Windows Releases Now Available
SimplyJeff writes "Athlon 64 users rejoice! Today at WinHEC 2005 in Seattle, Microsoft announced availability of the 64-bit editions of Windows XP and Windows Server 2003. Strangely (and possibly a sign the drivers aren't yet up to snuff), Microsoft will not sell the 64-bit releases in retail outlets. For now, only new PC buys can get Windows x64 Edition as an option. However, those who purchased Windows XP after March 31, 2003, can trade in their copy for the 64-bit version at a cost of $12 and a voided warranty. Although, x64 users will get one free support call to Microsoft." Reader bonch adds a link to CNET's review of the OS.
Great, now all people need are some applications really designed to take advantage of it....
The party of stupid and the party of evil get together and do something both stupid and evil, then call it bipartisan.
You can get it on a machine and Microsoft will support you. Doesn't sound like Beta to me.
If you were Microsoft, would you like to deal with the long line of tech support calls explaining why the new version of Windows doesn't work on a Pentium Pro.
For the market they are targetting, their sales strategy makes perfect sense.
A speech...
At this stage of the game it doesn't make any sense for most users to switch to 64 bit XP. It isn't mature enough and doesn't have enough driver support. This is being put out there so that businesses that have a special need for 64bit computing (for example large memory address space) can get started.
Expect to see plenty of patching and continued development moving forward.
Sometimes my arms bend back.
Athlon 64 users rejoice! Today at WinHEC 2005 in Seattle, Microsoft announced availability of the 64-bit editions of Windows XP and Windows Server 2003.
You spout off about the joys of linux. But,when Microsoft comes crawling with a 64-bit OS, you fall over like a bitch in heat. Sadness
You don't have to be smart to use a Mac, you just have to be smart enough to buy one
If it was sold in a box in stores, people who don't know what it is might pick it up and try to install it. Very few people have 64-bit processors - certainly the average consumer who buys software from a retailer does not. This way they can control it: you only get the 64-bit version of Windows if you actually have a 64-bit processor.
The poster implied their reason was lack of support. I think it's lack of interest.
Now that it has been released, what 64-bit compilers are available for the operating system? The last time I looked, Microsoft was planning to use an ugly data model (LLP64) where only "long long" variables and pointers would be 64-bits. To me, that's a chicken-shit decision, broken code should be fixed or rewritten, not accommodated by crippling the compiler.
Mea navis aericumbens anguillis abundat
- Gentoo Linux for AMD64 has been out for well over a year. Plenty of other distros have too.
- Solaris, HP/UX, AIX, and other Unices have been 64-bit for years (not in the x86 architecture, but still, it's there).
- No drivers for my video card, wireless card, DVD+/-RW drive(!), etc., in Windows. If I upgrade Windows on this box (a brand new notebook) to the 64-bit edition, no games, networking, or burning for me. Wheee! But hey, "this is Windows" so I should be happy! Office should be enough for anybody.
:) - You ain't putting your CPU to "good use" until your apps are rebuilt as 64-bit binaries, and really only math-intensive apps (and less so for memory and system bandwidth intensive apps) are going to benefit. Photoshop might benefit a little, but not much. Games, again, maybe, but not much.
- Switching from 32-bit to 64-bit just for the fun of it will just cripple what you can currently do on the Windows platform right now. In Linux land, it all "just works" (with very few exceptions).
I'm no fan of Windows, but for once I can honestly say "64-bit Windows is the wrong tool for most every job right now."Read my stuff.
No, Windows doesn't have an inate ability to do anything better. Nowhere in gp's statement did I read a claim that this was the case. "Best" does not denote just pure technical capacity. It can mean many things, such as user experience or availability of professional-quality product.
To further belabor the point and repeatedly kick a dead horse, the general gaming experience on Linux blows compared to what is available for Windows. This is not due to a technical fault in Linux. It is also not due some technical superiority in Windows. It is simply a description of the current market experience.
There was no BS in gp's statement. I don't like Microsoft either, but I like knee-jerk, unthinking FUD even less.
(A) 64-bit XP has already been shipping for a long time (Itanium)
(B) Tiger isn't fully 64-bit, so there's no dicksize race with Apple here.
(C) The crossover between OS X and Win64 customers is tiny anyway
(D) Windows x64 went "gold" before Apple even announced Tigers release date, so it's entirely a coincidence the dates are so close.
(E) Probably 80% of Windows sales is through OEMs, so this ain't "limted availabiity" in the slightest.
(F) Destroying every aspect of your post is getting boring.
You are only partially correct. While you are correct that AMD64's hardware design does not allow for real-mode 16-bit code, it does allow for 16-bit code execution as long as it is protected-mode (so, Win16s applications should be able to work without a problem). (Source)
[insert witty comment here]
I call Bullshit.
i have been running linux on a dual Opteron for 4 months now with NO problems. granted I went Nvidia, and they care about releasing drives for linux people so I had no problems there... UT2004 in 64 bit (yup the 64 bit version of the linux app is on the install CD's) is screaming fast. All drivers are there in 64 bit goodness, SATA is happy as well as my u320 Scsi raid.
Care to actually list the hardware you claim that there was no support for? Myself and several others in the LUG have no problems with 64bit linux. Also anyone having a shit fit over an office app running in 32 bit mode really needs to get a life. We have been using Suse 9.2 and it runs all the 32 bit apps happily on the 64 bit system. If you were a real gentoo user you would have known how to get 32 bit emulation turned on.
here, waht help? this obscure website
Suse has it set up for you already, but as a Gentoo user you must be an advanced linux pro to choose it over a newbie distro like Suse that configures everything for you already.
this is NOT a dig on Gentoo users, you guys typically are levels above the "I hate text files" crowd, I just know that the parent is lying and am trying to make a point about it.
if the parent is actually truthful i strongly suggest he choose a distro that has more automatic configurations and is ready for 64 bit like Suse.
Do not look at laser with remaining good eye.