Windows Vista 64-bit Today

There appears to be a shift taking place in the PC industry: the move from 32-bit to 64-bit PCs.

We've been tracking the change by looking at the percentage of 64-bit PCs connecting to Windows Update, and have seen a dramatic increase in recent months. The installed base of 64-bit Windows Vista PCs, as a percentage of all Windows Vista systems, has more than tripled in the U.S. in the last three months, while worldwide adoption has more than doubled during the same period. Another view shows that 20% of new Windows Vista PCs in the U.S. connecting to Windows Update in June were 64-bit PCs, up from just 3% in March. Put more simply, usage of 64-bit Windows Vista is growing much more rapidly than 32-bit. Based on current trends, this growth will accelerate as the retail channel shifts to supplying a rapidly increasing assortment of 64-bit desktops and laptops.

64-bit PCs running 64-bit editions of Windows Vista typically have 4GB of memory or more. Compared to 32-bit systems, which top out at around 3GB of memory, 64-bit PCs can offer added responsiveness when running a lot of applications at the same time and have the potential for greater performance and new experiences as next-generations applications are written to take advantage of this new platform.
What started out as a gradual (some would say "glacial") movement toward 64-bit PCs, driven primarily by technology enthusiasts, seems to have turned into a swift transition, likely fueled by the falling cost of memory and consumers' desire to get the most out of their PCs.

This change begs a few questions:

Is the 64 bit market ready to go mainstream?

Will consumers realize the benefits from larger chips and 4GB or more of memory?

The answer to both of these questions is yes - but a qualified yes.

Preconfigured 64-bit PCs obtained from retailers or PC manufacturers should work quite well. This is in stark contrast to the experience of many technology enthusiasts who built their 64-bit PC from scratch and may have had to scour the Web looking for drivers. So, unless you really love to tinker with your PC, we suggest you buy a pre-built 64-bit PC at retail or directly from a PC manufacturer.

Beyond the box, you also need to consider the hardware peripherals and software programs you plan on using with your new PC. Any hardware or software product displaying the ‘Works with Windows Vista' or ‘Certified for Windows Vista' logo must be compatible with both the 32-bit and 64-bit editions of Windows Vista in order to warrant the use of the logo. If you don't see the logo, visit the Windows Vista Compatibility Center and check the 64-bit compatibility status. Hardware and software vendors continue to test and improve their products. Please note that the Windows Vista Compatibility Center is currently in beta. In some cases it is possible that a device may be marked as not compatible when in fact it is. I recommend that you also check with the device manufacturer to see if the compatibility status of your desired device has changed.

On the performance front, 64-bit PCs can provide a more responsive experience when running many applications simultaneously. Websites such as Bit.Tech.Net and Tom's Hardware have published performance benchmarks detailing some of the improvements realized from running the 64-bit PCs. In addition, PC Accelerators built into Windows Vista, such as Windows SuperFetch, improve performance by keeping commonly used programs in memory, even when the program is closed. More memory capacity on 64-bit PCs allows SuperFetch to do its job more efficiently.

But if you only use your PC for a few tasks, and rarely do them at the same time, then you're unlikely to realize a measurable performance benefit today. Of course, buying extra capacity for your future, unplanned needs is always worth considering.

In the future, we expect both compatibility and performance of 64-bit PCs to continue to improve. Most hardware devices have 64-bit drivers today and most software products work unmodified because of the 32-bit emulation technology in 64-bit Windows Vista (called WOW64). But there are some gaps, especially in the long tail of the market, but we expect rapid improvement now that 64-bit PCs are getting so popular.

Over time we'll see more 64-bit-optimized programs hit the market, which promise dramatic performance and experience improvements. A few key ones, like Adobe Lightroom & Photoshop and Sony Vegas Pro video editing software, are due to be released this fall. If you're a software or hardware developer, visit our 64-bit readiness page to learn more about 64-bit compatibility and optimization.

Source:- Windows Vista Team Blog : Windows Vista 64-bit Today

 

[johngalt]

Preconfigured 64-bit PCs obtained from retailers or PC manufacturers should work quite well. This is in stark contrast to the experience of many technology enthusiasts who built their 64-bit PC from scratch and may have had to scour the Web looking for drivers. So, unless you really love to tinker with your PC, we suggest you buy a pre-built 64-bit PC at retail or directly from a PC manufacturer.

Horse hockey....only thing I have that is not x64 compliant is my Microsoft Optical Desktop with Fingerprint Reader KB....if you plan to build a machine and go with 64bit, just friggin do the research. This quotation makes it seem like builders and enthusiast just get whatever the hell they want to without doing any research before building....

 

[z3r010]

I agree.

 

[roy69]

I built my 64 bit system from scratch. After all the h/w had arrived it only took 4 hours to build and install all the software. I downloaded all the drivers (64 bit) and burnt them to disk before I had even recieved the h/w. This ensured I had everything ready for the install when the system was built. If your savvy enough to build a computer then your savvy enough to make sure it is going to work.

 

[WildEagle]

I built my 64bit system from scratch, and without needing somebody to do it for me. I made sure I had all the 64bit drivers for my hardware handy.

People do need to do their research before getting a 64bit system, as not everything will be compatible with it.

 

[ripbox]

We've been tracking the change by looking at the percentage of 64-bit PCs connecting to Windows Update, and have seen a dramatic increase in recent months.

Rofl That was probably just me trying to get this gosh darned update to install

Cumulative Security Update for Internet Explorer 7 in Windows Vista for x64-based Systems (KB950759)

This is the second I.E 7 security update that has failed to install

But yes it is about time we all moved on to 64 bit by default

 

[skunksmash]

i also built my rig around x64 vista..... & had no issues at all
the only problem i ever come across & still as yet to be addressed
is the x64 flash player .. its the only thing keeping me on a x32 browser

32-bit is dead...long live the king (x64)...

 

[WildEagle]

What's holding me back from using 64bit IE is that there is no 64bit flash player for it. I use 64bit Windows Media Player, when I listen to MP3's.

Only thing I came across on Vista 64, is that really old games don't run, and or those games have a 16bit or 24bit install routine.

 

[SCSIraidGURU]

Most of the Microsoft crap is 32-bit bloatware.

 

[WildEagle]

I'm actually glad I didn't go with 32bit Vista Ultimate, when I bought Vista.

 

[SCSIraidGURU]

64-bit Ultimate is awesome. My hardware and it get along. Crysis 64-bit runs great. Just waiting for a 4870x2.

 

[johngalt]

So does Mass Effect and Sins of a Solar Empire.

 

[johngalt]

I think Ed Bott responded directly because of this Windows blog:

Suddenly, 64-bit Windows is mainstream | Ed Bott’s Microsoft Report | ZDNet.com

Suddenly, 64-bit Windows is mainstream

Posted by Ed Bott @ 6:21 am


Last year, x64 editions of Windows Vista were hard to come by and seen as mainly for early adopters. This year, with little warning, the tide seems to have shifted dramatically. I noticed the first hint three weeks ago, when I visited HP’s website to check the specs of the new TX2500z notebook and saw that a 64-bit upgrade was available for all models. When I looked at the flyers in last Sunday’s paper, I saw several PCs at Best Buy with 64-bit Vista Home Premium Edition installed, including notebooks from HP and Toshiba and quad-core desktops from Gateway and Dell; the former came with 4GB of RAM and a 19-inch LCD monitor for $750, while the latter had 6GB of RAM and a 19-inch monitor for $830.
Microsoft noticed the sudden shift as well. According to stats I received yesterday, the installed base of 64-bit Windows Vista machines in the U.S. has more than tripled in the last three months. Using data from its Windows Update servers, Microsoft calculated that 1.45% of all Windows Vista machines were running x64 Vista editions in March of this year. By June, that figure was up to 5.18%. That number is actually more impressive than it sounds: by my back-of-the-envelope calculations, making that shift in total market share means that at least 20% of all Vista PCs sold in the second quarter of this year came with 64-bit editions of Windows Vista preinstalled. By fall, it’s possible, even likely, that we’ll reach a tipping point, with more than 50% of new PCs sold at retail coming with 64-bit editions of Windows Vista preinstalled.
I guess I shouldn’t be surprised. I’ve been running Vista x64 on my main desktop PC since February, with no issues whatsoever. In May, I converted a year-old ASUS Tablet PC to Vista x64 and was astounded at how easy it was. Finding 64-bit drivers for virtually every mainstream device is easy, and I have yet to see a 32-bit Windows program that won’t run on an x64 system.
So why the shift now?
First, RAM is cheap. With the exception of low-end loss leaders, most new PCs in the retail channel these days are equipped with 4GB of RAM or more and cost under $1000. If you want to actually use that RAM, you need to move to a 64-bit code base. Looks like the major OEMs figured that out, too.
Second, a new wave of applications is going to debut in the fall, Most are aimed at digital media enthusiasts and professionals, including Adobe Photoshop CS4 and Lightroom. (In fact, the next version of Photoshop will be 64-bit native for Windows 64-bit OSes only.) Adobe’s John Nack says “the speedup due to running in 64-bit mode is around 8-12%” and that opening a 3.75 gigapixel image on a suitably equipped machine (quad-core, 32GB of RAM) is “about 10x faster.” Sony’s long-awaited 64-bit Vegas Pro 8.1 video editing program (announced and demoed at NAB in 2007, demoed again at NAB in 2008) should be available around the same time.
Update 31-July: Well, that was fast! Around the time I was writing this post, Adobe released Photoshop Lightroom 2, with full 64-bit support for Windows Vista. Details here.
For consumers, there’s certainly potential for confusion, especially given that most systems sold in the past few years have combined 64-bit CPUs with 32-bit Windows. Microsoft has prepared some guidelines for hardware and software vendors and for consumers. The most likely point of confusion comes when downloading drivers; I was pleased to see that HP is delivering its drivers and software updates with both x86 and x64 versions in the same downloadable package, allowing the installer to decide which one to use based on the system’s specs.
The biggest sticking point continues to be legacy hardware. OEMs delivering new machine configurations can ensure that every included device works properly, but plugging in an older device might not work. My three-year-old ScanSnap scanner finally has 32-bit Vista drivers, but Fujitsu has announced that it has no intention of producing x64 drivers for that series.
Ironically, one of the most high-profile laggards is from Microsoft itself. As I noted last December, Microsoft’s fingerprint readers, included with some mice and keyboards, don’t offer 64-bit support. Since then, UPEK has released x64 drivers and control software for its devices (I have one on my desktop and one an the ASUS Tablet). Ironically, the fingerprint reader in my new x64-based HP notebook works perfectly with its Digital Persona software. The Microsoft devices use that same software; alas, the new Windows Vista Compatibility Center still lists those devices as “not compatible” with 64-bit Windows Vista.
So, how many of you are running 64-bit Windows? Any problems to report?
Update 30-July 10:00AM: In the TalkBack section, several commenters have noted the absence of a 64-bit Flash player. I’ve addressed that issue in a follow-up post: Dear Adobe, can we please have a 64-bit Flash player?

 

[Oskari]

I think 64bit is becoming common place. When I bought my ready-made system the salesman was running a 64bit and said it ran like a dream - no compatibility problems that he knew of. I was sold because I wanted more than 4Gb of RAM. At first I was nervous, but everything so far runs like a dream, e.g. Wacom tablet, Epson R800 printer, Maxtor external drive...and games from years back. Plus, I seem to be contaminating my friends and family, too. GO x64!

 

[andrewjohn81]

I'm using x64 for both Vista and XP (at work) and the most important thing I'm getting is software. it's not hard to find hardware support.

Java is still pretty picky, and doesn't love XP much. And Apple still doesn't have their act together. QTVR (quick time VR) still doesn't work. I think that might only be XP though. They might just not be doing retro support for that. Jerks. lol

We'll see Vista in about 4 years at work. stupid corporate environments. WAY too much testing.

 

[SCSIraidGURU]

JAVA sucks no matter what its on. My Novell server has 6 versions of JAVA for its server apps. Its non-optimized garbage code.

 

[Reacher]

I build my Vista 64 HP box in March. My brother and I have been building machines for years and all I heard from him was doom and gloom about how much I would hate Vista and how hard it would be to run 64bit. I built my box, Vista installed like a dream and the only snag in the whole deal was that my old Belkin USB nic does not run in Vista 64. I have been able to run any game I wanted and really liked it.

My one big issue was that after a while, I would plug in a USB device and Vista couldn't find drivers for it. (things like a flash drive, or a digital camera) I was almost to the point where I was going to put XP back on when either an update from my mobo manufacturer or a windows update fixed my issue.

I am now running smoother than ever with 8Gb of ram and a kick ass OS. I tell my brother how wrong he was and that he too should go 64bit.

 

[andrewjohn81]

well, true. Java may be garbage code, but it is fairly necessary today. So many things I use rely heavily on it. Flash is fairly Java heavy now too.

I think I've talked our IT guys into letting my group start testing their Vista x64 image. They are liking it as well. Most of the company, something like 90% is now using a 64bit processor, so I think they are just going to avoid the 32bit OS altogether if all the testing goes well. The only real problems I have had at work so far is Lotus Notes. I think we were getting away from that anyway, so maybe we'll be in luck.

I didn't like Vista at first, but the popups have been reduced a bit, and they don't seem to bother me much anymore. I probably get more of them at work. I assume Vista stops reminding you if you keep running a vbs script Over and Over again. I get an a warning Every time on XP. Although, that Could be something our IT set.

 

[Art]

Preconfigured 64-bit PCs obtained from retailers or PC manufacturers should work quite well. This is in stark contrast to the experience of many technology enthusiasts who built their 64-bit PC from scratch and may have had to scour the Web looking for drivers. So, unless you really love to tinker with your PC, we suggest you buy a pre-built 64-bit PC at retail or directly from a PC manufacturer.

Horse hockey....only thing I have that is not x64 compliant is my Microsoft Optical Desktop with Fingerprint Reader KB....if you plan to build a machine and go with 64bit, just friggin do the research. This quotation makes it seem like builders and enthusiast just get whatever the hell they want to without doing any research before building....

Don't go from XP to Vista unless you go 64-bit

By Stuart J. Johnston

Early indications are that Windows 7 won't be a major upgrade from Vista.

But the real choice isn't between Vista and Windows 7; it's between moving to a 64-bit version of Windows now or later.

The bottom line is that if you're using XP, there's no point in upgrading to 32-bit Vista. It doesn't make sense to upgrade your operating system without upgrading to 64-bit hardware and software in order to get the most out of both. Allow me to explain.

Despite Microsoft's best attempts to keep a lid on the next version of Windows — code-named Windows 7 — details about the new OS's features are slipping out. The early word is that the successor to Vista, which is due to ship in early 2010, won't be much different from Vista Service Pack 1.

To date, Microsoft has said only that the next version of Windows will launch within three years after the consumer release of Vista, which debuted officially in January 2007. A recent report by InternetNews.com pegs Microsoft's current schedule as having the OS ready for PC manufacturers in June 2009, substantially earlier than advertised.

Microsoft executives have kept mum not only about the when of Windows 7 but also the what: specifically, what features will and won't be in the next release. Significantly more information regarding Windows 7 will be available in late October at the company's Professional Developers Conference (PDC) and in early November at its Windows Hardware Engineering Conference. Late word is that PDC attendees will receive a pre-beta of Windows 7 on a 160GB external USB hard drive.

Early testers of the new release indicated recently to All About Microsoft blogger Mary Jo Foley that a public beta of Windows 7 is due around mid-December 2008. Microsoft has said it will sign up beta testers via its Connect site.

That would be the right time frame for Microsoft to get the final release to PC makers in time for the 2009 Christmas sales season — a critical mistake Microsoft made with Vista in 2006, say analysts.

Windows 7 emphasizes performance, stability

Testers of early preview releases indicate that Windows 7 will provide greater stability, reliability, and performance than Vista. The most recent of the three prebeta releases reportedly delivered all three of the promised benefits.

One of the three biggest complaints about Vista — or more specifically, the 32-bit version of Vista — is performance. (The other two big Vista problems, application incompatibilities and the lack of device drivers, have been solved over the past year and a half, with a few noteworthy exceptions.)

The 32-bit edition of Vista supports only 3GB of memory, a limitation that the 64-bit edition doesn't have. How much memory can 64-bit Vista address? The range is from 8GB for Vista Home Basic to 128GB for the Ultimate, Enterprise, and Business editions.

All 32-bit operating systems, not just Vista, have greater memory restrictions than their 64-bit versions. At this point, if you're considering buying new systems, you should be looking at setups that use 64-bit hardware and software. After all, what good are all those lightning-fast processor cores if the system runs low on memory to support them?

While there will be a 32-bit edition of Windows 7, the writing is on the wall: the future of desktop computing is 64-bit.

"The 64-bit editions support more than 3GB of RAM, which removes the headroom limit that 32-bit editions have," principal anaylst Rob Enderle of the Enderle Group told Windows Secrets.

Some users echo that sentiment.

"I installed a full 64-bit copy of Vista six months after release and it runs great," said a user who goes by the screen name Darkest Daze on one user forum.

"I love my Vista 64. I would never go back to XP," said a posting by another user who goes by the screen name Ike_Skelton.

While there is a 64-bit release of XP, Microsoft plans to end free support for XP on April 14, 2009, although the company will continue to issue critical bug fixes. After that date, you'll have to pay per incident for support from Microsoft.

One big reason why Microsoft should have no problem meeting its shipping deadlines for Windows 7 is that the OS will not be much different from Vista Service Pack 1, which shipped last spring. For instance, screen shots of the latest pre-beta that were briefly posted to the Web last week (until Microsoft's legal department got involved) showed a user interface that is suspiciously like Vista's aero look.

 

[xeon1203]

I ever installed vista Ultimate 32-bit but it can't see memory of ram 4 gb,it's 3.25 gb,why?