Maximum PC 64-bit RSS Feed

Linux Lovers to Loathe Adobe No More, 64-Bit Flash Support Arrives

Paul Lilly — Mon, 17 Nov 2008 11:26:34 -0600

Linux has typically been at the front of the pack when it comes to 64-bit processor support, which made the lack of a compatible 64-bit Flash Player a glaring omission for the open-source platform. The no-show by Adobe has been particularly frustrating for Firefox fans, who by being limited to using the 32-bit Flash plug-in meant also being limited to the 32-bit version of Firefox. That all changes today. From Adobe Labs:

"Furthering Adobe's commitment to the Linux community and as part of ongoing efforts to ensure the cross-platform compatibility of Flash Player, an alpha version of 64-bit Adobe Flash Player 10 for Linux operating systems was released on 11/17/2008 and is available for download. This offers easier, native installation on 64-bit Linux distributions and removes the need for 32-bit emulation."

Windows and Mac users need not feel too bitter, as Adobe says native 64-support across all platforms is forthcoming, although no specific time frame has yet been announced, only that it will arrive "in an upcoming major release of Flash Player."

Notebook Vendors Giving 32-Bit Vista the Boot in Favor of 64-Bit

Paul Lilly — Tue, 28 Oct 2008 10:31:26 -0500

The decision to go with a 64-bit version of Vista over its 32-bit counterpart remains a dubious one, but not so as far as netbook vendors are concerned. Most new laptops are now shipping with a 64-bit OS. Take Best Buy's newest shipment of HP laptops, for example, who shows 11 models listed as "new arrivals." All but three come with Vista 64-bit, with the remaining models sporting Windows Vista Business downgraded to XP Pro, also in 64-bit form.

Falling memory prices could be one reason for the sudden push into 64-bit territory. Of the 9 laptops outfitted with Vista, all of them come spec'd with 4GB of RAM. But is a 64-bit OS truly necessary to take advantage of 4GB or more?

"The 64-bit versions of Windows can utilize more memory than 32-bit versions of Windows," Microsofts writes in its FAQ. "This helps minimize the time spent swapping processes in and out of memory by storing more of those processes in Random access memory (RAM) rather than on the hard disk. This, in turn, can increase overall program performance."

Running 4GB of RAM on a 32-bit OS isn't a complete waste, but because most systems will only show around 3.25GB as being installed, it's easy to see why notebook vendors would opt for a 64-bit OS to avoid customer confusion. Throw into the mix that hardware and peripheral support in Vista 64-bit is very good and it becomes a low risk option.

Hit the jump and tell us what flavor of Vista you'd prefer to have on your notebook: 32-bit or 64-bit?

Windows Vista 64-Bit – Is It Ready For Primetime?

Justin Kerr — Sat, 09 Aug 2008 17:01:53 -0500

When Windows Vista launched back in January 2007, the 64-bit edition was clearly not ready for primetime. The driver and compatibility issues that mired the early days of the OS were even worse on the 64-bit side, and for most users Vista x64 was completely crippled or in some cases, wouldn’t install at all. Hardware manufacturers struggled to release stable device drivers but because 32-bit and 64-bit editions both required radically different drivers, Vista x64 just wasn’t a priority. Coming up on two years later, 32-bit Vista’s issues seem to have calmed down, but what about Vista x64? Well according to Microsoft, usage of the niche OS is on the rise, but is it finally ready for prime time?

Click the jump to learn all about Vista 64 and what you need to know before you consider switching.

Are Users Ready For 64-bit in Prime Time?

Chris Moody — Tue, 05 Aug 2008 09:18:38 -0500

64-bit operating systems are certainly nothing new and when they first launched they weren’t even highly anticipated. Windows XP Professional x64 Edition only created a small amount of excitement and that died a quick death when the complaints about driver issues, Windows Explorer bugs in 64-bit mode, and 16-bit programs being unsupported started to roll in.

It was just too green to be of any real use to me, despite my 64-bit processor. I love to tinker with my PC, but I also want it to be stable and work well with lots of peripherals.

With the release of Service Pack 1 for Vista I decided to give it another try with my workstation and was pleasantly surprised, both by Vista (not the evil, vile monster it was at launch) and 64-bit computing. It seems that others are beginning to share that feeling.

Make the jump to see how many more Vista 64-bit OSs are hitting Windows Update

In the lab: Will Smith Experiments with 64-bit Vista

Will Smith — Mon, 03 Mar 2008 18:06:54 -0600

Real-world testing of Windows Vista 64-bit yields surprising results. And by surprising we mean annoying.

Big Game Crash Blues Under Windows Vista? Run, Don't Walk, to Get the Hotfix You Need

Mark Soper — Fri, 17 Aug 2007 23:58:29 -0500

Hitting the virtual address space wall when you play games on 32-bit Windows Vista? Get Microsoft's hotfix now!

July 2005 - The Ultimate Do-It-Yourself Guide

The Maximum PC Staff — Fri, 01 Jul 2005 00:00:00 -0500

In the PDF archive of the July 2005 issue, you can find:

The Ultimate Do-It-Yourself Guide
27 Invaluable How-To Projects!
Answered: All your questions about Microsoft's latest operating system!
Doom 3 Expansion: Our Shocking Review!
Powerful Portables Reviewed
Ask the Doctor
Rig of the Month
The Watchdog
And a whole lot more!

Click the big giant cover image to the right to download the PDF archive today!