Re: 64-bit Thermal grease

On Sat, 18 Mar 2006 17:29:37 +0000, "Dave (from the UK)"
<see-my-signature@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:

Charlie Wilkes wrote:


here is a good presentation on the basics of what 64-bit is about.

http://tinyurl.com/kmfd2


I can see it for databases, servers, etc., but what is there for the
consumer that takes more than 4gb of RAM?

When MS released Win 95, a 32-bit Windows was long overdue, and the
programs were waiting for it. Also the web exploded about the same
time, which added momentum. But I think MS is ahead of the curve with
a 64-bit system, which is probably good, because maybe it will
actually work right by the time people need it.

64-bit processors and 64-bit operating systems have been around a very
long time indeed. Something like the 64-bit Sun Ultra 1 was introduced
more than two decades ago and the last ordered accepted for them back in
1987

http://sunsolve.sun.com/handbook_pub/Systems/#EOLSystems

so they were discontinued nearly 20 years ago.

For 99% of users, 64-bit CPUs are of no benefit at all.

If you fancy a cheap 64-bit machine, buy something like a used Sun Ultra
1 on eBay.

Thus one, which is sold as seen, is complete with disk, processor, and
basically ready to go and sold for £0.99 in the UK. (~$1.50)

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/SUN-SPARC-Ultra-1-3_W0QQitemZ5875408244QQcategoryZ1486QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

How cool. I should get one, except I never learned unix.

Just try to forget all the hype.

I'm convinced the editors of PC magazines want to tell you how good
64-bit systems are, as without their endorsement, sales of them will be
lower and so their advertisers less happy.

MS is trying to entice people to buy Vista because of the features it
offers in and of itself. I don't think that will work without a
decent menu of 64-bit apps that do something 32-bit programs can't.
They are coming, to be sure, but when?

64-bit applications are around, but even on a 64-bit operating system
like Suns Solaris, many of the applications are 32-bit, since they run
*faster* that way (use less memory, better cache hit ratio).

So if you want an Oracle database then you are likely to find it in
64-bits, but for typical applications, there is no need.

That is exactly what I was thinking... it would be good for data
warehouses etc. I don't think I need a 64 bit newsreader.

Eventually games will probably get to the point where 64-bit makes
sense.

On some AMD processors, 64-bit applications run faster as the processor
makes more registers available in 64-bit mode. That is a function of the
CPU, and nothing to do with the operating system. As far as I know,
there are no Intel CPUs which have this 64-bit bias.

I write my own software on this 64-bit machine, but don't often use
64-bits (only when it is needed).

Also, the Linux factor hasn't gone away.

True, and that has been 64-bit for quite some time.

And there is Solaris x86, which is a free download

http://www.sun.com/software/solaris/

which is needs a 64-bit processor on SPARC but will run on 32 or 64bit
ones on Intel chips.

Forget the hype. My guess is that the earliest 64-bit processors were
obsolete more than 20 years ago, perhaps as many as 25. So forget all
this new hype.

My attitude toward upgrades of any kind is, I'll get it when I can't
do something I want to do. A junker running FreeDOS can handle about
90% of my activities.

Ballmer isn't looking past the next 3 quarters... he can't because
he's an ex-CFO. If he could, he'd see that he is banking on an
obsolete revenue model. MS is moving in the right direction by
developing different flavors of XP, and the wrong direction by trying
to force-feed a clunky new OS that nobody needs.

IMO.

Charlie
.

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