In article <[email protected]> you write: > I would like to hear what every one thinks about 64 bit computers. What > makes a 64bit computer? Is it just the OS and or does a 64bit computer > need a specific kind of motherboard and cpu? Any thing else I have left out? > I am assuming that applications have to run in 64bit mode or they don't > run at all. > > I really would appreciate your view points.
The phrase "64-bit computer" can mean many different things depending on context. In the personal computer context, it usually refers to a computer containing a processor that implements the x86-64 instruction set developed by AMD and later reluctantly adopted by Intel after their Itanium processor failed in the market. Now, it's important to not that the x86-64 (sometimes called amd64) instruction set is a superset of the x86-32 instruction set, so x86-64 processors can still run older OSes that only use the x86-32 instructions. So, to get the benefits of the x86-64 instructions, you need to run an 64-bit OS. The 64-bit OSes can usually run 32-bit applications via compatibility libraries. -Dale --------------------------------------------------- PLUG-discuss mailing list - [email protected] To subscribe, unsubscribe, or to change your mail settings: http://lists.PLUG.phoenix.az.us/mailman/listinfo/plug-discuss
