Allowing the operating system to go beyond the 4G memory limit is a big deal, especially for anyone using a memory hungry screen reader using an off screen model. Anyone using JAWS will tell you that you get a better experience using more than 4G of memory, and this goes for your common computer user as well as your power user.
Anyone using virtualization technology like VMware will also tell you that the more memory the better. Granted, your common user may not be using a virtual machine but this is an inexpensive way to try out multiple operating systems and get the most out of accessibility by taking advantage of each operating system and it's accessibility strengths.
The ability to access large data sets, such as large Excel files is important to some people. I work in the health industry, and we're constantly pushing the limits of 64-bit Office. I know my son is seeing the same thing in the insurance industry. This will be true in more and more professions as data mining and big data become the norm. It may not be that big a deal to the casual home user though.
Other every day tasks, like converting media files from one format to another, compressing or uncompressing data files and so on benefit from 64-bit processing. As others have mentioned, 64-bit processing allows for faster processing in general and the more efficient use of resources. This contributes to the overall experience of using a computer, but it may be hard to pin point in a specific application.
I will agree that in general people have a glut of computing power, memory and storage, which is why netbooks were popular briefly and why tablets can fill that content consumption need for many people. Anyone who's run a netbook along side of a low end 64-bit multi-core laptop will tell you they can notice the difference though. Also, you don't need to be running your system at full throttle all of the time to take advantage of a 64-bit multi-core system when you need it.
You mention that 64-bit hasn't been widely adopted, but most of your PC's running 32-bit Windows XP had 64-bit chips and Windows Vista and beyond is almost exclusively sold as a 64-bit operating system. The same will happen in the mobile space. 64-bit ARM and Intel chips will find their way into smart phones and tablets and over time, the operating systems and applications will take advantage of that architecture. Maybe it isn't revolutionary, but it's at least evolutionary.
BTW, I think I could hold my own with statistics, but I would claim that any argument requiring anyone to have studied statistics probably isn't needed or appropriate for a general use list like this.
On 06/30/2014 12:28 AM, Joseph FreeTech wrote:
I stated from the beginning that the "potential" is there, its just that the common computer user has no need for the advanced computing power currently available. Heck, most computer users whether blind or not can do just fine with an I5 or I3 processor, and don't have the need for 64bit processor and even less with current multi-core able software. In other words, you can buy a Ferrari, but just how do you intend to get full performance and your money's worth out of this sport scar if you live in an environment like Manhattan. Regarding your example, I'm absolutely certain this same work was done just fine back some 10 years ago way before multicore processors and 64bit hardware, it just took longer. You are of course also citing examples at the extreme of the normal curve who would indeed benefit from such computing power, but most users are within 2 standard deviations and will do just fine with the less performing computers I mentioned. If you have not studied research methods or even introductory stats please let me know now as we're not going to get anywhere in this discussion or any other regarding probability, sampling, etc. Sorry. Joseph ----- Original Message ----- From: "Sieghard Weitzel" <[email protected]> To: <[email protected]> Sent: Sunday, June 29, 2014 9:07 PM Subject: RE: Tired of quality decline and considering switching to Droid Joseph, There are multiple examples. My nieces husband is an environmental consultant. He just purchased a $40,000 drone to do surveys for oil companies and so on. The software he uses which processes the huge amounts of data collected by the drone runs for hours even on a top-of-the line computer with I7 processor and 32 Gb of RAM. Without 64 bit architecture this would probably be not even possible. Also, if you work on very large Excel files (over 2 Gb in size) you can only do this with the 64 Bit version of Office. As I said in my previous email, these are often not applications the average user has to be concerned about, but that doesn't mean the improvement is not there. Regards, Sieghard -----Original Message----- From: [email protected] [mailto:[email protected]] On Behalf Of Joseph FreeTech Sent: Sunday, June 29, 2014 8:20 PM To: [email protected] Subject: Re: Tired of quality decline and considering switching to Droid Yeah, but I specified software. Also name the titles--surely you must have some. Like I said, there might be a few here and there--maybe in gaming, but overall nothing major. So, actually, yes, I'm right, the potential is there, but there has not been wide adoption. Joseph ----- Original Message ----- From: "David Chittenden" <[email protected]> To: <[email protected]> Sent: Sunday, June 29, 2014 8:07 PM Subject: Re: Tired of quality decline and considering switching to Droid Untrue, the 64 bit architecture has considerably increased responsiveness of high-end graphics rich and intense applications in computing. David Chittenden, MSc, MRCAA Email: [email protected] Mobile: +64 21 2288 288 Sent from my iPhoneOn 30 Jun 2014, at 14:27, Joseph FreeTech <[email protected]> wrote: The 64bit architecture was also suppose to revolutionize software on Windows, but now years later, it never really did happen. Joseph ----- Original Message ----- From: "Alex Hall" <[email protected]> To: <[email protected]> Sent: Sunday, June 29, 2014 7:10 PM Subject: Re: Tired of quality decline and considering switching to Droid The 64-bit arcetechture isn't noticeable right now, but it is what allows for advances and more powerful apps. For instance, it is how Apple's new graphics engine is able to be so amazing, and it is, as I understand it, what will let the Alex voice work correctly on iOS. As iOS8 comes out and gets updated, you will start to see more that the A7 (that is, 64-bit) processors and beyond can do which older devices cannot. Scrolling works for me; sometimes, if a finger doesn't move enough to register or if I accidentally have one finger too close to the edge and it doesn't register, then yes, the gesture fails. I consider it just an artifact of the way the input system works, though, and I'd challenge anyone, sighted or not, to find a touch interpretation system meant to be used all the time that always works perfectly. I briefly tried Android, and those crazy corner gestures were hard to get right, for instance. The language switching is iOS seeing another language and switching to it. Maybe an email subject or Facebook post is written in that language, or maybe it's English but came from a foreign computer that tagged the string as another language even though it isn't. Either way, it's iOS doing its best to present foreign languages in their proper voices, since it assumes that this is better than presenting everything in English and letting you try to figure out what an English pronunciation of a language you speak is trying to say. I'd love there to be a toggle somewhere to turn this off, since, as you said, it can get annoying if languages are improperly tagged or detected, but it's not a bug per se.On Jun 29, 2014, at 9:59 PM, Eric Brinkman <[email protected]> wrote: Alex, does the 64-bit processor offer much improvement that is noticeable from a user's perspective? As far as bugs go, scrolling seems to have become more erratic recently. When I swipe up with three fingers, sometimes it scrolls, but sometimes it just tells me what rows are being shown without scrolling. This can make it difficult to navigate large playlists, particularly in Spotify which I use more than the native music app at this point. Also, occasionally VO will randomly start speaking as though text were written in a different language. I used to think this was a Facebook bug, but it happened in Mail once last week while reading the subject of a message from Linked In. Jaws used to do this randomly on certain websites as well. For GPS I mainly use Seeing Eye at this point. I used to use Navigon and BlindSquare but prefer to have all functions in one app. I am looking forward to having Alex in IOS 8 though and am sure the voices on Droid screen-readers won't be as good.On 6/29/14, Christopher Chaltain <[email protected]> wrote: If you're thinking about an Android option, go ahead and also consider the Samsung models. Samsung has made some nice accessibility additions to what's available on stock Android. You might want to check out some Android specific mailing lists first as well. You'll be getting the latest on Android.On 06/29/2014 08:24 PM, Joanne Chua wrote: Also, anything that using tracking mode, doesn't matter it is a pedometor, weather app, social media, or any kind of gps apps will sucks up the phone battory like a hawk. For those that insist on switching to Androy OS, just make sure that you get the phones/tabs that comes with google Androy stock. Whith means, at this stage, either the nexus 4/5, nexus tabs, or the motorola motor E or motor G. Other than that, you will have some accessibility problems. Just the matter of either the problems can be resolve, or some phones, the problems can't be resolve. Also, although the look of numbers of processor available on an androy phone, doesn't always tell the story of the processor itself. You can have a cheap octa core (8 core) processor on an androy phone, but running on the speed of the dual processor.On 30/06/2014, Kelly Pierce <[email protected]> wrote: I have found that if I force quit most of my apps on my iPhone 5, I still have 97 percent of battery power when I check my phone at about 1:00 p.m after leaving for work at 7:00. I leave the mail, weather, messages, find my iPhone and local newspaper apps open in the task manager. Everything else is closed. I don't use my iPhone for navigation, audio streaming, reading, music listening to music or other activities on my way to work. KellyOn 6/29/14, Alex Hall <[email protected]> wrote: Yes, exactly. Android is a good OS, and plenty of blind people make it work well for them, but switching just because your older phone is having battery problems makes little sense. Given all that iOS8 will bring, and given all the programming announcements at WWDC this year, and the advances the iPhone5S brought with it that everyone else is now copying (fingerprint authentication and 64-bit processors), I'm always amazed when people say Apple is declining,or not innovating, or in trouble. Wait for iOS8 and the iPhone6 and see if Android still looks like a better option. On Jun 29, 2014, at 9:01 PM, Sieghard Weitzel <[email protected]> wrote:Hi Alex, You make a very good point about battery size in larger phones. Apple has been slow I adopting a larger screen size, but we all know that the iPhone 6 will come in at least something like a 4.7 inch and maybe also a 5.5 inch version. In the past Apple has been accused of not innovating any more, but of course sticking a larger screen on a phone can hardly be called innovation. Going bac to the issue of battery, the Galaxy S5 which has a 5.1 inch screen and is significantly larger than the iPhone 5S, has a 2800 MAH battery which is almost twice as big as that of the 5S. Yes, of course they get better battery life out of such a large battery and it's unfortunate that you will inevitably find articles comparing the iPhone 5S battery life with that of the Galaxy S5. Of course that would be like comparing 2 similar cars, one with a 20 Gallon tank and one with a 40 Gallon tank, of course you will be able to go further with the car that has a 40 Gallon tank, but being able to put more fuel in it doesn't necessarily make it a better vehicle. Regards, Sieghard From: [email protected] [mailto:[email protected]] On Behalf Of Alex Hall Sent: Sunday, June 29, 2014 2:09 PM To: [email protected] Subject: Re: Tired of quality decline and considering switching to Droid I am having the same battery problems, also starting with iOS7. However, Apple ran a remote diagnostic on my phone when I called them, even though I didn't have Apple Care, and said that there is a hardware fault in my battery somewhere which is causing problems with fast draining. As was said, the battery is now one and a half years old and I use it constantly, so I'm not too surprised. I, too, would take a long and hard look at Android before switching. Maybe rent a tablet for a couple weeks, or see what your carrier's return policy is. Facebook is not Apple's fault at all, and I'd be interested to see how the same app performs on Android. also, remember that the iPhone6 will very probably have a larger screen, which means a larger battery. Many Android devices can offer longer battery lives simply because they are already bigger than the iPhone and so can sport more raw power to use. Finally, if battery drain is all in iOS, then who's to say iOS8 won't make a huge jump in battery? Obviously, the choice is yours. The bottom line is that Android is very different and has its own set of challenges, bugs, and shortcomings you need to know about before you start relying on it full time. No company is perfect, and of course you know what Apple's problems are. Just be sure you aren't trading those issues for an even bigger set with Android. On Jun 29, 2014, at 4:58 PM, Sieghard Weitzel <[email protected]> wrote: Hi Eric, I doubt a top of the line Android phone will give you better battery life. I also would be interested to know what all these bugs in iOS 7 are and of course the fact that you are having issues with Facebook is not Apple's fault. As for dictation, I don't encounter the problems you have with SIRI putting in the word comma when I want it to put in the punctuation. According to what they said in the keynote dictation in iOS 8 will be much more responsive and while there are some Android fanboys on this list, I would highly recommend that you find a way to try Android before you commit to a high-end Android phone on a 2-year contract. I can't diagnose your battery issue, but having poor cell coverage definitely will suck battery as the phone constantly tries to connect and communicate with the towers.My nephew works in a very remote rural area in northern British Columbia and his is the same experience; however, if he is in town with a good signal his battery is just fine. Then you also have to keep in mind that if you got your iPhone 5 when it was released that the battery is now one and a half years old and any rechargeable battery degrades with time. Regards, Sieghard -----Original Message----- From: [email protected][mailto:[email protected]] On Behalf Of Eric Brinkman Sent: Sunday, June 29, 2014 12:58 PM To: [email protected] Subject: Tired of quality decline and considering switching to Droid As someone who uses GPS and browses the web regularly, the battery life on my iPhone 5 with the latest IOS has become completely unacceptable. I have read MacWorld's guide to improving battery life and followed their suggestions, but I am still lucky to have over 30% charge after a trip to NYC. If I don't put the phone into airplane mode while at work or bring a charger to the office, I will have 20% or less by the time I leave. And i don't even use my phone at work. There's just poor cell coverage in my office, but this wasn't a problem until recent months. I think it's due to the walls, as I am on Verizon and have no issues when outside. If I stay with IOS, I will buy a juice pack when I upgrade to the iPhone 6 this fall. But there are so many bugs in the latest IOS that I wonder whether I might be better off on Android. The dictation feature seems to have gotten less smart since IOS 7.1, often typing the word comma when I want a comma punctuation indicator. There are so many bugs with Facebook and VO that I could easily spend five paragraphs detailing them. Also, I really don't think I should need to buy a juice pack, as I didn't have much of an issue with the battery life prior to IOS 7. These issues are the result of Apple rushing products out the door before they are ready, something that's been crippling the company ever since the IOS 6 Maps debacle. Had you asked me a year ago, I would've said I'll never switch to Droid, but now I'm not so sure. Does anyone on this list know what the situation is on Droid concerning GPS and accessibility? The last time I heard, good screen-reading software was available but I wasn't sure about GPS. I have heard that now Google's dictation functionality is in many ways smarter than Siri. Is battery life far superior on the top-of-the-line Droid phones as well? Thanks in advance. Eric -- The following information is important for all members of the viphone list. All new members to the this list are moderated by default. If you have any questions or concerns about the running of this list, or if you feel that a member's post is inappropriate, please contact the owners or moderators directly rather than posting on the list itself. The archives for this list can be searched at http://www.mail-archive.com/[email protected]/. --- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "VIPhone" group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to [email protected]. To post to this group, send email to [email protected]. Visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/viphone. For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/d/optout. -- The following information is important for all members of the viphone list. All new members to the this list are moderated by default. If you have any questions or concerns about the running of this list, or if you feel that a member's post is inappropriate, please contact the owners or moderators directly rather than posting on the list itself. The archives for this list can be searched at http://www.mail-archive.com/[email protected]/. --- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "VIPhone" group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to [email protected]. To post to this group, send email to [email protected]. Visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/viphone. For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/d/optout. -- Have a great day, Alex Hall [email protected] -- The following information is important for all members of the viphone list. All new members to the this list are moderated by default. If you have any questions or concerns about the running of this list, or if you feel that a member's post is inappropriate, please contact the owners or moderators directly rather than posting on the list itself. The archives for this list can be searched at http://www.mail-archive.com/[email protected]/. --- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "VIPhone" group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to [email protected]. To post to this group, send email to [email protected]. Visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/viphone. 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For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/d/optout.-- The following information is important for all members of the viphone list. All new members to the this list are moderated by default. If you have any questions or concerns about the running of this list, or if you feel that a member's post is inappropriate, please contact the owners or moderators directly rather than posting on the list itself. The archives for this list can be searched at http://www.mail-archive.com/[email protected]/. --- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "VIPhone" group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to [email protected]. To post to this group, send email to [email protected]. Visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/viphone. For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/d/optout.-- Christopher (CJ) chaltain at Gmail -- The following information is important for all members of the viphone list. 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If you have any questions or concerns about the running of this list, or if you feel that a member's post is inappropriate, please contact the owners or moderators directly rather than posting on the list itself. The archives for this list can be searched at http://www.mail-archive.com/[email protected]/. --- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "VIPhone" group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to [email protected]. To post to this group, send email to [email protected]. Visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/viphone. For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/d/optout.-- Have a great day, Alex Hall [email protected] -- The following information is important for all members of the viphone list. All new members to the this list are moderated by default. 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