No iPhone For 64-Bit Windows

Mizled writes "After buying a new iPhone yesterday and bringing it home to sync and activate it, I found out that Windows 64-bit is not supported. Neither XP 64-bit nor Vista 64-bit works with the iPhone. I called the Apple support line and the rep said I needed to downgrade my computer from a 64-bit operating system. I also posted about my concerns on the Apple iPhone discussion forums, but my post was quickly removed."

Comments

64 bit but do you have the memory ??

[PermanentMarker]

I just wonder for all the home PC's 64 bit platform do you have more then 4 GIG ram inside ?
If not why did you install a 64 bit OS ?

To me it makes no sense to be capeable of adressing lots of memory in a 64 bit architecture, while not having this amount of memory (then i gues it's rather more overhead then a performance gain)...

So probaply they where right.

Oops debunking a 64 bit platform in just 5 lines of text

Pot to Kettle -- Yer Black!

[Anonymous Coward]

Let me see if I understand this; a select group of Windows users, who use 64 bit, consider themselves elite knowledgeable computer users are complaining that the other group of elite computer users is shunning them.

There's some delicious irony there.

It's only been on Slashdot a few dozen times that iTunes isn't supported on 64-bit Windows. And it's only been on Slashdot a dozen times in the past week that you need iTunes to activate your elite cell phone.

32bit windows runs 16bit apps

[el_mancebo]

Why the hell a 64bit OS don't runs 32bit apps?

Well actually, all the fault -came- from Microsoft

[Anonymous Coward]

A few points of interest:

First: Neither: iTunes, quicktime or safari run native under 64 bit windows. It's such a small market share that it's not worth bothering with right now. (Sounds like a familiar argument for why many windows software developers don't touch the mac platform, microsoft often cite small market share when they cancel mac apps.)

Since 64bit windows isn't well adopted, mostly because the issues it has with existing software, it is usually reserved for custom systems that need to address large amounts of memory.. such as database servers, genome processing etc. This means that there is not much of a correlation between potential iPhone buyers and those who use windows 64 bit for anything more than "i haz 64 bitz, I rox0r!"

This is why I say linux would get a client before they'd even bother with 64 bit windows. The linux crowd are tech enthusiasts and are likely to buy expensive electronic devices. They're also usually smart enough to run iTunes under a VM. So they(Apple) won't be bothering to write a linux port in the near future either.

It's probably a good time to point out that the slogan "it just works" references the Apple macintosh platform, and devices that plug into that. In contrast to Windows which takes a while just to recognise a -standard- USB mouse, to which it will then tell you all about the new hardware you've attached. That is of course if it doesn't make you install it over and over again. Or that bonus chime every single time something is plugged in or removed, or sometimes just at random. Then there is a little persistent window you have to click away. Or sometimes (again randomly) the excessively user-unfriendly eject hardware icon appears in the tray(which usually never works anyway.)

Back to the subpoint: what many people don't seem to realise is that the majority of the slowness of the iPod on windows is entirely the fault of Windows. (Whether it's bad testing of 3rd party developed drivers or poor implementation at MS.) You can plug in a PC formatted ipod into the mac and (like most other devices) it is instantly recognised, no long thoughtful pauses, or misdiagnosing it/or not letting you eject it. That's all just windows to thank for there. Heck I've attached apple laptops instantly to sony bravia screens, while the sony laptop running xp simply can't drive it, despite having all the hardware requirements and leaving the onsite sony technician puzzled as he reinstalls xp on the laptop for the 2nd time.

So I hope I've addressed your concerns about 64 bit windows, and the "it just works slogan".

Re:No.. requirements list itself omitted the info.

[Anonymous Coward]

You are mistaken. Windows Vista is Microsoft's name for the 32-bit versions. Unless 64-bit is specified, it is not meant.

And if you are using a 64-bit variant of Windows, you bloody well know this.