That’s the main reason why 64-bit PCs haven’t eighty-sixed 32-bit systems just yet. Also, finding 64-bit drivers for your PC’s peripherals has been like playing the digital equivalent of “Where’s Waldo?” - and in many cases, Waldo is nowhere to be found. To this day, however, 64-bit versions of such major applications as MS Office, Adobe Photoshop, Web browsers, and security suites have been vaporware. General-purpose PCs using 64-bit processors emerged in 2003. 19, 2009, Best Software column by Gizmo Richards, “Should you move to 64-bit Windows 7?” (paid content).īig-name apps remain MIA from 64-bit list There are other differences, too for more information, see the Nov. In contrast, 32-bit Windows XP maxes out at 2GB per process. More prosaically, 64-bit Windows can routinely allocate up to 4GB (and sometimes more) to each software process running on the PC. For example, the 64-bit version of Windows 7 Ultimate can address up to 192GB of RAM. The 64-bit flavor of Windows takes advantage of this. Similarly, 64-bit software is capable of managing truly huge data sets. Of course, no PC can hold that much physical memory - but the point is, they could. This is the basis of the “4GB memory limit” for 32-bit hardware and software.Ī 64-bit PC can track 2^64 addresses, yielding a theoretical memory ceiling of about 16 exabytes - 16 billion gigabytes. Computers use only two digits (ones and zeros), so a 32-bit program can track 2^32 (2 to the 32nd power) memory addresses - about 4GB. The primary difference between 32-bit applications and their 64-bit counterparts is the size of memory the programs can address. That’s all well and good - and theoretically true - but without software optimized for 64-bit machines, using those more-advanced processors for everyday tasks is like running a Formula One race car on regular gas. Likewise, PC vendors continue to pitch the benefits of 64-bit PCs over their 32-bit brethren. Microsoft likes to boast about the extra performance delivered by the 64-bit versions of Windows. The situation is improving - slowly - but many major PC applications remain 32-bit affairs. TOP STORY The long wait for 64-bit PC software continuesĮven though 64-bit PCs have been available for seven years, the promise of 64-bit computing has been delayed by a dearth of 64-bit software.
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