A Conversation for How to Prevent Computer Obsolescence
New PCs - 64-bit vs 32-bit
Peet (the Pedantic Punctuation Policeman, Muse of Lateral Programming Ideas, Eggcups-Spurtle-and-Spoonswinner, BBC Cheese Namer & Zaphodista) Started conversation May 15, 2005
If you're buying a new PC, give some serious consideration to investing in a 64-bit CPU and motherboard. They're not significantly more expensive than a 32-bit system, and they're likely to last you a lot longer.
The reason? Memory is dropping in price rapidly; at the time of posting I can buy 512MB of PC400 DRAM for £38. A 32-bit processor can address approximately 4GB of memory; this amount is within reach of anyone with a moderate budget at the moment, and will continue to get cheaper. Modern applications assume you have *lots* of memory. When you install 4GB, though, that's it - you have nowhere else to go.
A 64-bit CPU, on the other hand, can address up to *18 billion Gigabytes* of physical DRAM, so you're unlikely to hit your limit in the forseeable future. 
Key: Complain about this post
New PCs - 64-bit vs 32-bit
More Conversations for How to Prevent Computer Obsolescence
Write an Entry
"The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy is a wholly remarkable book. It has been compiled and recompiled many times and under many different editorships. It contains contributions from countless numbers of travellers and researchers."