Probably you have read and heard about alphanumeric combinations such as x32, x64, amd64, x86-32, x86-64. You had to study the architecture of a computer, bus and register width at informatics lessons. Let's consider the advantages of so popular today 64-bit architecture.

These advantages can be expressed in such abstracts.
1. Availability of a larger volume of RAM.
2. Double increase in number and volume of registers.
3. An architecture is better designed to execute a variety of tasks.
4. Full compatibility with 32-bit programs.

Let's start with the end. AMD64 and EM64T (the names of 64-bit technologies from AMD and Intel) are an extension of 32-bit architecture, therefore they have all that was in the previous 32-bit processors. It is quite possible to install Win32 OS (or Linux OS) on modern processors and everything will work correctly with the same performance as on the 32-bit processors.

In addition, using 64-bit architecture is preferable for cryptography and data compression tasks. Do not forget also that the 64-bit processors were released in the desktop segment in 2003, it means that they also have a set of SSE2 instructions and programs compiled for 64-bit processors will use these instructions.

Increase in the number of registers and their amount allows reducing the number of requests to the cache. It can greatly accelerate a work with local and float variables.

Well, the most popular for "home" user is the availability of larger amounts of RAM as for the system as a whole and for each individual application.

If you actively make image manipulations in Adobe Photoshop, spend the evenings for playing video games, if you're an engineer and make high-performance computing, work with virtual machines, especially with a few machines synchronously, you will need extra gigabytes of RAM.

And all would be well, but many software vendors do not want to port their products to 64-bit platform. They argue against 64-bit platform, because, at present, it is less popular than a classic 32-bit platform. At the same time, users are not going to change 32-bit system to 64-bit because it is not always possible to find the needed program for this platform.

Software vendors have to break this vicious circle. Because they call themselves "progressive" and "innovative".

For now we have such picture:

1. 32-bit CPU + 32-bit OS



Everything is simple, but unpromising; your 32-bit operating system run 32-bit programs using 32-bit processor.

2. 64-bit CPU + 32-bit OS



Everything is the same as in the previous case, but the 64-bit extensions of CPU are idle, not participating in the work of PC.

3. 64-bit CPU + 64-bit OS



Let’s consider this situation in more detail. You chose the same width of OS and CPU and want to exploit the all potentialities. But not everything is easy, for example, Skype is not 64-bit application. A special mechanism WoW64 (not world of warcraft, but Windows 32-bit On Windows 64-bit) is designed to run such applications. There are not any problems when you use non-native architecture to run 32-bit OS on 64-bit CPU, but if you use the mechanism WoW64 such problems arise. The performance is slightly decreased or not changed; but it is a merit of up-to-date productive processors.

But the situation can be even worse:



Skype works in 32-bit environment, but Mozilla application framework build 64-bit browser for your OS, which is compiled with taking into account all the CPU capabilities. But 64-bit Flash is not for Windows OS. And since the system does not run a browser and a plugin for it separately, you should use an outdated 32-bit browser or not use Flash at all.

There is a Flash for the 64-bit system on Linux OS. But it is outdated and new Flash in the near future will not be released. If you decide to run any applications written for Microsoft Windows under Wine, the situation will be aggravated. The performace will be quite low.

Also it is required to store the necessary system files for both architectures to ensure compatibility. If on Linux OS these libraries will be installed only when they become necessary, on Windows OS they have already installed.

How long shall we use outdated technologies? As long as corporations, providing software products to huge number of people will not get rid of them.



Article is imported from user's blog Marina.