RSSMicrosoft Completes 64-Bit Windows
By Nate Mook | Published March 31, 2005, 9:37 AM
Ending a year and a half of testing, Microsoft has released to manufacturing 64-bit versions of Windows XP and Windows Server 2003. The new releases, branded x64 Edition, pave the way for a new era in desktop computing built atop advanced processors architectures.
General availability of Windows XP and Windows Server 2003 x64 Edition is slated for next month during Microsoft's WinHEC 2005 conference.
The x64 editions of Windows also run 32-bit applications, enabling for a smooth transition to 64-bit computing. Intel is expected to release its consumer 64-bit processors in April. AMD has offered its 64-bit Opteron and AMD64 chips since last year.
"Windows XP Professional x64 Edition will particularly benefit business customers engaging in solving complex scientific problems, high performance design and engineering applications, high-end 3D game development, video editing, media encoding, or creating 3D animations," a Microsoft spokesperson told BetaNews.
Microsoft is targeting medium to large enterprises with Windows Server 2003 x64 Editions, which cover Standard, Enterprise and Datacenter versions of the operating system.
"Benefits include better performance for a variety of critical business and technical computing applications, and improvements to Windows Server 2003 core technologies including Terminal Services, Active Directory, Internet Information Services (IIS), and storage management," the spokesperson said.
To prepare for the launch, Microsoft says it has trained more than 8,000 developers on 64-bit Windows, and launched the Route64 Training Tour to aid ISVs in migration. More than 300 partners have joined Redmond in its 64-bit efforts, the company says.
Microsoft also plans to soon begin accepting applications for Windows XP x64 Edition in its "Designed for Windows" logo program.
Windows Server 2003 x64 Edition find its roots in Windows Server 2003 Service Pack 1, which also debuted early Thursday.
now you can get your bugs and exploits happening twice as fast.
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|Thank you Microsoft, this should be fun!
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|Anybody have a copy that I can use to test the Sun V40z X64-bit beast I have sitting on my desk?
Anyone with info please contact me at stevej@sis-tek.com
Thanks,
Steve
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|Finally worth it to go out and buy a new system running a 64 bit cpu. An OS that is made for the 64 bit cpu, games and apps in the near future made for the system, will be worth the money spent on the 64 bit system
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|http://download.microsof...e76f5bcf9/x09-45916.iso
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|That's an evaluation copy of Windows Server 2003 for *Itanium*, not x64.
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|I have the file and a key, it will work without limitations and its all i need, and its all u can get right now.
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|It is Win2003 Server 64bit
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|my ass
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|cant wait to see some benchmarks on games and other apps before i upgrade
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|I doubt there will be much performance improvement by using 64 bit over 32 bit.
The only difference between the two is that 64 bit supports mor than 4 GB of RAM.
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|QUOTE...
"I doubt there will be much performance improvement by using 64 bit over 32 bit.
The only difference between the two is that 64 bit supports mor than 4 GB of RAM."
Errr ... it can process 64 bits at a time, a true 64 bit processor. So just by its nature at the same clock speed it can process twice as fast. Coupled with the fact it is technically better, I know which one I would have.
Running native 32bit software its still faster than intel, running 64 bit !! it willleave it for dust.
i have a 939 mobo running a 3500+ chip, and its impressive. You have to see it to believe it. Server 2003 64 is going on it at teh weekend and I hope to see it even faster.
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|"I doubt there will be much performance improvement by using 64 bit over 32 bit.
The only difference between the two is that 64 bit supports mor than 4 GB of RAM."
Not just more memory. A 64bit OS allows applications compiled in 64bit to move data and instructions around in 64bit chunks instead of 32bit chunks. Applications that move a lot of data around, such as compression, video editting, picture manipulation can see improvements of 25 to 100% depending on what is being done when.
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|uh..64 bit means twice as fast as 32 bits? You might wanna check your math skippy! There is an exponential increases in processing power as you increase the number of bits.
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|True ... but being able to process 64bits in one go HAS to be better than 32. Im no einstein but I think this makes sence. Why do you think Nvidia process graphics at 256 bit at the core ?
If anyone wants the X64 Server, then goto microsoft and download it or request the disk. I cant post the link here but its available on a 180 day trial.
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|ignorance is bliss... let skippy be
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|What is a fact is that to take advantage you need a 64 bit processing unit and (i don't know how much is it now... i think is 32 bits) new memorys that are able to store 64 bit-length words... to take full advantage... some may say that the only advantage are 4 gb memorys... no. The fact that double numbers require 2 processing cycles... discarding the fact that you have to access the memory twice. For me, as a programmer (well, im still studying) is a huge breakthrough. For example... what makes Apple computers so damn powerful??? 128 bit processors. The problem, besides the creation of a 64-bit based platform, is the hardware. Besides Xeon, Intel processors are 32 bit based processors, so, to have any serious advantage in a 64 bit based platform you need 64 bit length memory words and 64 bit processing chunks... But.. IMO.. this is a HUGE breakthrough...
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|There is one big reason Windows x64 will run faster on those shiny, new AMD64 chips: registers. The AMD64s have an extra set of 64 bit registers that the extended x86-64 standard uses, but that the x86 (32 bit) standard does not. Increasing the number and size of your registers is like increasing the RAM in your system or increasing your cache... only registers are orders of magnitude faster, so your improvement should be significantly more pronounced than simply dumping another stick of ram in.
I can't wait to see what my 3400+ will pull off in Windows x64.
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|you get 64bit wide registers and 64bit 'words' to and from memory using both Opteron and EM64T. You don't get a full 64bit address bus - no need uless you can afford to put hundreds of TB of RAM in a server. I'm not sure, but I have heard that this version of Windows uses only 36 or so bits for addresses, so while registers and chip level instructions can handle it, the OS might not handle addresses that are bigger than 36bits.
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|from my understanding, the AMD opteron and 64 cores themselves can only address 36bits, thus supporting anything more in software is moot.
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|Well... you don't need a 64 bit MAR to use a 64 bit MDR... the number of 'words' that the registers can process doesn't determine the length of the registes... U can have two registers, the two 128 bit long. Adresses are 36 bit long, 'words' aren't. The main thing that I think is 'cool' is that double numbers can be processed in one single punch (64 bit long).
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|s;dlk
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|it will be quite fun!
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