why do we have 32 bit

Dicehunter · 25 Sep 2008 at 19:37

I often wondered why do we have 32 bit when nearly 100% of hardware runs a lot better on 64bit OS's than it does on 32 bit, it cant be down to drivers etc... as this has all been resolved, so why does 32 bit still exist ?

V4NT0M · 25 Sep 2008 at 20:41

Why do we have 32 bit what?

iviv · 25 Sep 2008 at 20:59

Backwards compatability. Lots of people are still running pentiums and athalons which don't support 64-bit. And microsoft wouldn't cut them off, as think of the money they would loose!
So instead they keep 32-bit around, people stick with 32-bit because they are incorrectly informed that 64-bit is buggy and unstable.

Eventually, it will be phased out, but not for a while.

V4NT0M · 25 Sep 2008 at 21:03

iviv said:
So instead they keep 32-bit around, people stick with 32-bit because they are incorrectly informed that 64-bit is buggy and unstable.

Because every program works on x64 :rolleyes:

backtothefuture · 25 Sep 2008 at 21:09

iviv said:
Backwards compatability. Lots of people are still running pentiums and athalons which don't support 64-bit. And microsoft wouldn't cut them off, as think of the money they would loose!
So instead they keep 32-bit around, people stick with 32-bit because they are incorrectly informed that 64-bit is buggy and unstable.

Eventually, it will be phased out, but not for a while.

what about games... aren't they developed around 32bit?

Tute · 25 Sep 2008 at 21:13

I personally don't think the next version of Windows will have a 32-bit version. Simply because with memory at the prices it is, by the time we get it, 4GB RAM will be standard.

iviv · 25 Sep 2008 at 21:20

backtothefuture said:
what about games... aren't they developed around 32bit?

Chris Tyler isn't happy about it. He's waiting for it to become standard so he can make SupCom 2.

theheyes · 25 Sep 2008 at 21:28

Windows 7 is coming in 32 and 64 bit versions, apparently. 32 bit is going to be around for a long while yet.

Hxc · 25 Sep 2008 at 21:29

Skyfall said:
Because every program works on x64

I've not found one other than epically old 16-bit programs....

metalmackey · 25 Sep 2008 at 21:34

Will there be any advantages in 64bit apps like office suites and browers over 32vit apps? Apart from them being able to access more mem.

Tute · 25 Sep 2008 at 22:02

Hxc said:
I've not found one other than epically old 16-bit programs....

I think DOSBOX will still allow you to run those as well.

james.miller · 25 Sep 2008 at 22:08

Hxc said:
I've not found one other than epically old 16-bit programs....

http://www.arcsoft.com/public/software_title.asp?ProductID=3&dyContent=LANG_DETAIL

arcsoft totalmedia theatre, for one. doesnt work at all.

iviv · 25 Sep 2008 at 22:17

james.miller said:
http://www.arcsoft.com/public/software_title.asp?ProductID=3&dyContent=LANG_DETAIL

arcsoft totalmedia theatre, for one. doesnt work at all.

So they should pull their fingers out and get around to making a 64-bit version?

The athalon 64's have been around since 2003, and in 2004 intel followed. And in 2005 XP 64 was released, though it wasn't really used because of the aforementioned bugs and problems.

Vista-64 is slowly changing this, and program makers should recognise this.

Curio · 25 Sep 2008 at 22:18

DF1986 said:
I often wondered why do we have 32 bit when nearly 100% of hardware runs a lot better on 64bit OS's than it does on 32 bit, it cant be down to drivers etc... as this has all been resolved, so why does 32 bit still exist ?

I don't think you appreciate just how many older machines there are out there that can only run a 32bit OS!

james.miller · 25 Sep 2008 at 22:21

iviv said:
So they should pull their fingers out and get around to making a 64-bit version?
The athalon 64's have been around since 2003, and in 2004 intel followed. And in 2005 XP 64 was released, though it wasn't really used because of the aforementioned bugs and problems.

Vista-64 is slowly changing this, and program makers should recognise this.

of course they should. the software itself has been around for quite a while. im not making excuses - they should do better. but thats just one piece of software that doesnt work at all, there's plenty more that doesnt fully support 64bit. thats why my lappy comes with 32bit and not 64. i have 64bit on my pc though.

C64 · 25 Sep 2008 at 23:03

erm it's actually the other way round ? I ask why do we have 64 bit ? and support for more than 2gb yet hardly anything uses more than 2gb of ram ?
having tried vista ultimate 64bit just the other day and I swapped straight back to xp pro because I found issues straight away with many things.
Vista needs another service pack before I'll go back to it.Oh and btw doesn't vista emulate 32bit anyway ? what is the x86 folder where all programs go ?
64 bit vista is about as useful as quad core at the mo hardly anything benefits from it.

Hxc · 25 Sep 2008 at 23:10

What? What "issues" does vista have?

C64 · 25 Sep 2008 at 23:14

Loads you just have to uncover them I had issues with my favourite apps I use on xp such as regseeker, pro evo 6 ,ati tray tools and that was enough for me to stop right there and go back to xp.

Vista is just xp with dx10 support a shiny interface and the ability to use +2gb of ram but not in any games or apps which defeats the purpose of having over 2 gig.

james.miller · 25 Sep 2008 at 23:17

there's lots of reasons for having more than two gb of ram. ive had photoshop use over 2gb on its own before, which is far from unheard of. no, most games dont ever use more than a gb of ram but games are far from the only use for a pc.

metalmackey · 25 Sep 2008 at 23:20

I prefer Vista64 to XP. Seems more stable and responsive to me. I only have 2 issues with it, its hard to see selected files and when running dreamscence the PC will freeze if I try and play a .wmv in full screen.