There are quite a few reasons to get excited about the 64 bit version of Vista. Since the discontinuation of the Pentium line, both AMD and Intel have moved pretty much exclusively to 64 bit chips, allowing for greater calculation accuracy and (more importantly) better/larger memory addressing. Unfortunately, according to The Inquirer, hardware manufacturers are pretty sure they won't see it being utilized much in 2007 even by enthusiasts.
Vista's 64 bit version is integral to a computer actually being capable of using 4GB of RAM - the 32 bit version of Vista will only support addressing of up to 2.75-3.25GB. Such a downside is a pretty strong deterrant for the purchase of the 32 bit version, particularly for enthusiasts - but hardware makers are pretty sure that you won't be going out and buying the 64 bit version (whenever it arrives), despite its benefits.
The biggest weakness is apparently the driver architecture. 64 bit XP drivers are already problematic, and there simply has not been the time to rewrite them for Vista's new architecture. The manufacturers already have had to rewrite to supply the 32 bit version, which will be considerably more popular (for starters, it will actually be available whereas the 64 bit version is still AWOL). Graphics drivers are counted as the biggest problem, as their stability will greatly affect any enthusiast's purchase.
What are your plans for Vista? Are you going to buy the 32 bit, wait for the 64, or wait for all the bugs to iron out before you buy? Give us your plans in our forums.
Vista's 64 bit version is integral to a computer actually being capable of using 4GB of RAM - the 32 bit version of Vista will only support addressing of up to 2.75-3.25GB. Such a downside is a pretty strong deterrant for the purchase of the 32 bit version, particularly for enthusiasts - but hardware makers are pretty sure that you won't be going out and buying the 64 bit version (whenever it arrives), despite its benefits.
The biggest weakness is apparently the driver architecture. 64 bit XP drivers are already problematic, and there simply has not been the time to rewrite them for Vista's new architecture. The manufacturers already have had to rewrite to supply the 32 bit version, which will be considerably more popular (for starters, it will actually be available whereas the 64 bit version is still AWOL). Graphics drivers are counted as the biggest problem, as their stability will greatly affect any enthusiast's purchase.
What are your plans for Vista? Are you going to buy the 32 bit, wait for the 64, or wait for all the bugs to iron out before you buy? Give us your plans in our forums.
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