I'm building a new PC for my folks and I'm not sure which version of Vista I should install for them. They do a bit more than just check email. My dad likes his audio apps (iTunes, mixing programs, etc) and likes to tinker a bit with different programs.
I've bought them 4GB of RAM because it's so cheap at the moment and my dad wants this to be a PC that will last them for several years to come.
My question is, should I put them on Vista 64-bit or 32-bit? I know that the 32-bit version will only see about 3.2GB of the RAM I got, and I don't want to have to reinstall everything for them in the near future.
Is Vista 64-bit "there" yet? Or is it still for advanced users only? Should I play it safe I install the 32-bit version even though it may be outdated soon (and not see all the RAM), or will 32-bit be the way forward for a few years yet to come?
I regularly use both 64 and 32 bit versions of Vista and quite frankly i use the x64 version in a more app-heavy environment. It takes a bit more work to get everything stable, making sure drivers are fully compatible and all. You're right to put at least 4 gb ram in too. X64 Vista is definitely "there" it's just a few software publishers that are behind. I do all my video/audio editing on the x64 and have only to retire one video editing program i used on XP, (WinAvi) as it wasn't fully compat with Vista x64. Last i heard Rosetta Stone wasn't either and i've been wanting to try that. If the folks don't mind occasional troubleshooting that can usually be solved by Googling then go x64 otherwise x86 ain't no slouch either.
To put it frankly, you answered your own question.
Vista 32bit won't make use of all the RAM there (typically showing between 2.5 to 3.5 GB).
SP1 supposedly fixed how much RAM Vista 32bit *reports* but it can still only access slightly less than all of it.
64bit Vista will access all of it.
Future proofing means that, eventually, you'll want to go 64bit - so now is the better time - as you cannot 'upgrade' from 32bit to 64bit.
Retail versions (keys) work with both 32bit and 64bit - so you could theoretically install 32bit now, then at a later date (say if either wants more RAM added to the system) backup all data and do a fresh install of 64bit using the same key.
Honestly, after having used Vista 32bit for nearly 2 years through beta testing and the final release, and having used 64bit for only 2 months, I'd stand behind 64bit 100% - more and more apps are either working or have workarounds to make them work, and 64bit future proofs additional hardware in the future, particularly RAM - and it is *Rock Solid* compared to my experiences with 32bit.
SanDisk Ultra SDSSDHII-960G-G25 960 GB SATA III SSD (System)
Crucial MX100 CT256MX100SSD1 256GB SATA III SSD (User Tree)
2 * Seagate Barracuda 7200.12 ST31000528AS 1TB 7200 RPM SATA II Mech. HD
Seagate ST1500DL001-9VT15L Barracuda 7200.12 1.5 TB S
PSU
Thermaltake Black Widow TX TR2 850W 80+ Bronze Semi-Mod ATX
Case
ThermalTake Level 10 GT (Black)
Cooling
Corsair H100 (CPU, dual 140 mm fans on radiator) + Air (2 *
Mouse
Logitech MX Master (shared)
Keyboard
Logitech G15 (gen 2)
Internet Speed
AT&T Lightspeed Gigabit duplex
Operating System
Sabayon Linux (current, weekly updates, 5.1.x kernel)
Manufacturer/Model
Lenovo ThinkPad E545
CPU
AMD A6-5350M APU
Motherboard
Lenovo
Memory
8 GB
Sound Card
Conextant 20671 SmartAudio HD
Monitor(s) Displays
Lenovo 15" Matte
Screen Resolution
1680 * 1050
Hard Drives
INTEL Cherryvill 520 Series SSDSC2CW180A 180 GB SSD
I used Vista x64 from day one on both my machines and I've never had any trouble with either being 64-bit. Now the drivers are finally becoming plentiful the Sun it doth shine all day long.
As johngalt said the key works with both versions, you also get both 64-bit and 32-bit discs in the "Retail" version of Ultimate (which is the way to go)!
Ted