when vista comes out will 64-bit become much more common?

[jazzboy]

Is there any machine that is being sold currently and being advertised as 'Vista Ready' that doesn't have a 64bit CPU in it? Probably the only reason they realy have it (32bit version) is because MS knows that application compatability and driver compatability is going to be a PITA for people to deal with otherwise.

Actually Intel's Core Solo/Duo (NOT Core 2) is only 32-bit, which is a bit of a bummer, and I believe that it wasn't until recently when Intel released 64-bit Celerons. So there could be a few disappointed people.

Anyway, the real issue is about getting hardware manufacturers to write Vista x64 drivers. However, as drivers are now required to be WHQL, does that cause much of a delay in getting drivers written/tested? One side effect I could see is someone creating a hack which allows non-WHQL drivers to be used, and then smaller manufacturers COULD rely on that.

 

[Nothinman]

One side effect I could see is someone creating a hack which allows non-WHQL drivers to be used, and then smaller manufacturers COULD rely on that.

Hit F8 during Vista boot and there's an option to allow unsigned drivers to be installed, at least that's what I heard.

 

[drag]

Originally posted by: Rilex
drag, there is no limitation (except by the installed OS) on the amount of /RAM/.

The only limitation is the amount of VAS, not physical memory.

Um.. ya.

I could stick 64GB of RAM in a Pentium3 machine with a chipset that understand PAE and have the entire OS recognize it.

But guess what? Each application will only be able to use 2gigs of it, unless you do some special stuff.

Yes it has to do with virtual ram.

 

[Navid]

So, when Vista is available for purchase, will you buy the 32-bit version or the 64-bit version? I don't think both are included.

Will you buy the 32-bit version for now and when drivers are available and applications take advantage of the 64-bit version, will you pay again to buy the 64-bit version?
I don't want to do that!

 

[stash]

The packaging (at least for Ultimate) seems to indicate that both will be included in the box, but I don't know what the plan is for sure.

 

[eBob]

It really depends on the hardware one has. If one has a 64-bit processor (whether it be a newer Pentium 4/Celeron D or a C2D) it just makes sense to get the 64-bit version of Vista, otherwise, if one plans on keeping one's 32-bit hardware awhile (e.g. just purchased a notebook with a Core Duo) perhaps upgrading to the 32-bit version of Vista makes sense. All of the hardware I have seems to have 64-bit versions of the drivers available now (of course, this does not apply to everyone). As for me, I will be holding off on installing Vista on my machines for quite some time (and may never install it). I am quite satisfied with Ubuntu on my Core Duo personal notebook (I can count on one hand the number of times I've booted it into XP) and my MythTV box obviously won't have Vista installed on it. My home desktop (C2D) may get Vista at some later point and my work notebook will probably get Vista when it is replaced in two years.

 

[InlineFive]

Originally posted by: Navid
So, when Vista is available for purchase, will you buy the 32-bit version or the 64-bit version? I don't think both are included.

Will you buy the 32-bit version for now and when drivers are available and applications take advantage of the 64-bit version, will you pay again to buy the 64-bit version?
I don't want to do that!

I'm pretty sure that Microsoft is either (1) including both versions on one DVD or (2) including disks for both versions. The latter makes sense to me as they are including all versions on one disk, but the version which is installed depends on your license key.

 

[Rilex]

I could stick 64GB of RAM in a Pentium3 machine with a chipset that understand PAE and have the entire OS recognize it.

But guess what? Each application will only be able to use 2gigs of it, unless you do some special stuff.

Incorrect. Each application could be assigned up to 4GB RAM (unless they understood AWE), but only a 2/2 split in VAS.

 

[Nothinman]

Incorrect. Each application could be assigned up to 4GB RAM (unless they understood AWE), but only a 2/2 split in VAS.

You're arguing semantics, the fact that each process can address 4G is irrelevant when you realize that you can only use 2G of that because the other 2G is reserved for the kernel. AFAIK there's no way to have NT do a 4/4 split so the best you can do is 3G if you use the /3G switch and mark your executable 'large address aware' so there's no way to get up to that 4G mark without AWE.

 

[Rilex]

Nothinman, if that were true then Virtual Server could not address up to 3.5GB to each VM (and again, with VS you do not use /3GB nor AWE).

 

[Nothinman]

Do you know how VS does that? If I had to guess I'd say that VS probably uses a kernel module to work around the problem.

 

[RebateMonger]

MS Virtual Server 2005 R2 FAQ: Hmmmm....I didn't realize that VS2005 could do that..

Q. How much memory can a virtual machine use?
A. Each virtual machine can use up to 3.6 GB of memory.

Q. How much host memory can Virtual Server 2005 R2 use?
A. Virtual Server 2005 can use up to 64 GB of memory. Large memory support requires Physical Addressing Extensions (PAE) to be enabled on the host operating system.

 

[drag]

Originally posted by: Nothinman

Incorrect. Each application could be assigned up to 4GB RAM (unless they understood AWE), but only a 2/2 split in VAS.

You're arguing semantics, the fact that each process can address 4G is irrelevant when you realize that you can only use 2G of that because the other 2G is reserved for the kernel. AFAIK there's no way to have NT do a 4/4 split so the best you can do is 3G if you use the /3G switch and mark your executable 'large address aware' so there's no way to get up to that 4G mark without AWE.

And even then with the 3gig split you are likely to run into big problems if your proccess uses a lot of system resources. That remaining gig can get used up pretty easily, I suppose, unless your carefull about stuff. Then you start to run into big problems. In other words there is a reason why proccesses are limited to 2gigs by default.

 

[IdaGno]

Vista 64bit OEM only?

For those customers that buy boxed copies of Microsoft's Windows XP, and for smaller PC OEMs, Microsoft is offering a different program. The offer will vary by region, but in the U.S. upgrades from Windows XP Media Center Edition 2005 to Windows Vista Home Premium, and upgrades from Windows XP Professional, Windows XP Tablet PC Edition and Windows XP Professional x64 Edition to Windows Vista Business and Windows Vista Business 64, will be offered for a nominal fee. What that "nominal fee" will be isn't exactly clear.

in short, confusion abounds & all the answers are not yet in