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32 vs 64 bit has more to do with the hardware than the software. In the case of Windows Vista, the 64-bit edition will run only on 64-bit hardware, whereas the 32-bit version will work on either.

Most of the differences between 32 and 64 bit hardware lies in addressing. Computers use binary for everything. Each 1 or 0 is called a bit. The maximum 32 bit number is 32 1s in a row, which converts (in decimal) to 4,294,967,295. The way memory addressing works is that each Byte of RAM has a unique address. One Byte is equal to 8 bits. Foregoing the math here, that means that the maximum addressable amount of memory you can have is 4GB. Not all the address space is used for addressing RAM, so the usable amount of RAM is probably more like 3.5GB.

64-bit hardware is much more robust - 64 1s in a row, not just 32. That translates to 18,446,744,073,709,551,615. That is over 17 billion gigabytes! It is actually 16 exabytes, which is three orders of magnitude greater than gigabytes (gigabyte, terabyte, petabyte, exabyte). As you can probably see, 64-bit hardware has exponentially more address space than 32-bit hardware.

The differences are not limited to address space, but that is really the biggest part.

32 Bit works with more software which is 32 bit related... Most software is designed for 32 bit. Some specialised software works on 64 bit. Drivers are harder to get for 64 bit. Stick with 32 bit unless you really need 64 bit. In theory 64 bit will calculate larger sums quicker and will also see larger than 4gb memory properly. In the real world most of us don't need this yet.

The ending of free full support for windows XP in September 2009 will quicken the move to 64 bit. Therefore, if you plan to buy a new this year (for intensive use) I would strongly consider the 64-bit option rather than the 32

The following link directs you to an article that can also explain the differences between Windows 32 bit and 64 bit: http://www.thesierragroup.com/assets/documents/Innovation_Alert_32-bit_64-bit_and_Assistive_Technology.pdf

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Q: What is the difference between Windows Vista 32 bit and Windows Vista 64 bit?
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What is the difference between Windows Vista 32 bit and Vista 64 bit?

The 64-bit version of Windows Vista is designed to take full advantage of 64-bit processors, and can address more than 4 GB of RAM. 32-bit applications can still be run on it; however you will need to make sure that there are 64-bit drivers for your hardware.


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Windows Vista home premium edition sp1 vs Windows Vista home premium service pack 1 64 bit?

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