(For those keeping
track, Windows 9x doesn??™t count because it was a hybrid OS that ran 32-bit
applications on a 16-bit DOS foundation, which was one of the reasons it was
so unstable.) 64-bit Windows became a reality in XP, but Vista is Microsoft??™s
first serious attempt to make 64-bit computing mainstream. But the question
is, how mainstream is it?
While 64-bit Vista can run most 32-bit applications without a problem, it??™s
not compatible with 32-bit hardware drivers or 32-bit utilities like Windows
Explorer extensions (e.g., context menu add-ons). This means that you need
a native 64-bit driver for every device on your PC. And since 64-bit Vista
won??™t load unsigned drivers (see Chapter 6), finding support for all your hardware
may be a bit of a challenge, at least presently. Since most Vista installations
are still 32-bit, most manufacturers aren??™t bothering to compile, test,
and support 64-bit drivers and software.
??”continued??”
Editions of Vista | 3
Get Started with
Windows Vista
The differences among the editions are outlined in Table 1-1. See the next
section for ways you can make up the difference if you??™re not using the Ultimate
edition.
Now, 64-bit software running on 64-bit Windows has been known to run as
much as 10% faster, which illustrates the other reason??”aside from memory
addressing??”that people find 64-bit Vista alluring. Just be prepared for lackluster
industry support, at least for the next few years until Microsoft releases a 64-
bit-only OS.
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