News Microsoft puts back first 64-bit Windows

It's not just Longhorn that's going to be fashionably late. WinXP 64 and Server 2003 64 will both be receiving tardy slips from the hall monitor. This from ZDNet:

Microsoft said on Tuesday that it has delayed an update to its Windows Server software as well as the first version of Windows to support 64-bit x86 chips such as Advanced Micro Device's Athlon 64.

The software maker said Windows Server 2003 Service Pack 1, Windows Server 2003 for 64-bit Extended Systems and Windows XP 64-bit Edition for 64-bit Extended Systems will all be pushed back into the first half of next year. All three products, which are being developed together, were slated to ship by the end of this year.

The move is a blow to AMD, which has had its 64-bit desktop and server chips on the market for some time and has been waiting for a version of Windows that can take advantage of their capabilities. Intel has also said it will have chips that support the 64-bit extensions to the existing Pentium architecture, known as x86. There is already a version of Windows that supports Intel's 64-bit Itanium architecture, which uses an entirely separate instruction set than x86 chips.

More here

 

Whats the advantages of the 64bit edition of windows?

 

Faster, but only when running 64-bit programs. Other than that, it's a marketing gimmick.

 

32 bits.

 

Thats pretty misleading mate. Lets face it games are already being released in both 32bit and 64bit versions (UT2k4 for example), once Winxp64 gets released software developers will probably gear their software towards this sort of thing. I'm sure then next version of Microsoft Office will be 64bit for a start.

I'd be very surprised if in 2 years time there are any 32bit cpu's still in production. AMD are already starting to move away from them. Ok, Intel are a little slow on the uptake, but they'll catch up eventually.

 

Just because people are moving towards it doesn't mean there is any good reason to.

 

[cibyr], I'd say that a performance increase and the ability to address more memory is a good enough reason to move to a new technology. Right now you're right; there's little reason to make the switch, but once we've got a 64-bit version of Windows and 64-bit software to run with it, the performance gains will be obvious.

 

LOL! Good one!

 

Well, new hardware, I'll be sticking with what I've got for the next few years (its only a month old!) cos I know I won't be able to afford 64 bit hardware cos of uni and that....

 

Like MS office needs to do anything quickly. I'm positive they would do that, but for the sole reason of forcing the new OS on you.

If we weren't still all using 32bit OSes, we wouldn't have the 32bit chips lying around. Indeed, 64 bit chips are more of a marketing gimmick now than a 64bit OS ever will be.

 

anandtech would disagree

major improvements were in audio encoding
encoding a 700mb wav using lame took 1:46 less and all you have to do is switch to a 64bit os...
certain 3d-rendering apps get a massive boost from 64bit

you get a 5fps increase in rtcw:et just by switching to a 64bit os and ET isnt even a 64bit game, its a 32bit game running on a 64bit os

less important to most people, mysql is considerably faster under 64bit


its far from a marketing gimmick...

 

what, that doesnt even make sense
without 64bit chips a 64bit os is 100% pointless...

 

I wonder how much Intel have to do with a delay to the 64bit code...

 

I think that for now, there are limited benefits to 64 bit computing, but in 2-3 years when the cpu's we will mostly be using are truly 64 bit, running on 64 bit kernels that have "weathered in", we will then reap most of the benefits.

 

It's a bit coincidental that Intel announced partnershps with M$ at IDF in spring and "magically" the 64 bit code wont be ready until Intel gets its 64 bit ass into gear.

 

About windows Londhorn, I was reading a PC magazine earlier (cant remember which) and there was a brief article on longhorn needing TWO processors at 5Ghz EACH to be able to run, is this true? Cos if it is its gonna be one mighty computer.

 

I think you may have hit the nail on the head, surely with an allrady resleased beta it would not take this long to get the final version out...

And it seems everything else 64bit is waiting on M$'s release

 

I didnt even know that and i instantly thought its a conspiricy Cuz M$ has sided with intel its all part of their ingenious plan 2 wipe out everythin that isnt on their side e.g amd and open source (tcpa can be thrown in there as well i suppose)

Death

 

That's precisely what went through my head when I read the story

 

Blanketing the 64bit architecture as a marketing ploy is hardly fair. Sure, it is not needed for grandma to surf the web and email photos, but the power users will get incredible gains. More addressable RAM for one, handling larger floating point numbers for two.

And from my days in 2nd grade when we made fun of my friend who *gasp* kissed a girl (obviously she had cooties)

Microsoft and Intel sitting in a tree...