64-bit Macs?

What is Apple's plan for adopting 64-bit processors? When's it supposed to happen and in which models? Are they going Merom?

Thanks
~ Brett

 

The G5 processor was the first one to go 64-bit.

Apple will probably go 64-bit with Conroe in July when I assume they'll release the new powermac (macstation pro? )

64-bit mobile computing will arrive with Merom, which is coming out in August. Apple will probably update their line soon after.

Ofcourse, the wait will be for nothing because 64-bit is just a number...no tangible performance enhancement you are likely to see. I'd be more interested in the virtualization technology and power reduction coming with the next generation processors than 64-bit computing.

64-bit is a joke...a marketing gimmick...

 

"no tangible performance enhancement you are likely to see"

Yeah, just like that damn Ford- pushing his Model-T's on us. I'll stay with my horse drawn buggey thank you!

 

Someone's been reading over grade 11 History Books!!!! join the club...
64-Bit is the technology of the future. its sort of like moving on to highways from country-roads, you know? there is no doubt that 32-bit is dead. Its just a matter of time before you will see 64-bit apps coming out one after another. It will all begin with Vista running full-out 64-bit environment. Just wait and see...

 

Though I agree with you that 64-bit is the future (big doh I know lol), I highly doubt it'll become standard anytime soon. As long as Windows XP is the standard OS, 32-bit would never become obsolete. Let's face it -- Vista wouldn't be entirely stable when it's first released. Maybe things would change this time around, but hey, if history is any indication (ahem Windows 98, ME, and XP..), I doubt it. It'll at least be a year later until it'll be patched enough to be deemed "usable". Having a 32-bit version of the Vista doesn't exactly help 64-bit's chances of becoming industry standard anytime soon either. If you ask me, it'll be at least 2-3 years later that we'd be seeing more of 64-bit technology. When Core Duos become truly outdated (not by its 32-bit limitations mind you, but its horsepower), it'll possibly have a chance. Until then, you might as well forget it.

 

Isn't the iMac G5 also running on 64-bit?

 

Tiger, like the G5, is a hybrid 64-bit OS, utilizing both 64-bit and 32-bit apps.

 

64-bit is definately something thats going to take time to become standard. However it will be sooner than we all think. There is only one version of Windows that comes out in 32-bit, out of the 4 or 5 that will be available. You can check microsoft's site, they have everything you might want to know about the upcoming OS.

 

I great thing I remember reading about 64-bit is the fact that you're not limited to 4GB maximum RAM or something like that.

 

Yep. no more 4 GB. its much higher. like a ridiculous number. i think the POTENTIAL number is in terabytes

 

Don't get me wrong...it'll become a mainstream standard eventually...but it won't bring anything beneficial for a long time.

The average consumer...even hardcore gamer people, don't need 4gb+ of ram in the foreseeable future.

64-bit OS's mean nothing. You can handle a longer string of data, that's it. Very few people run programs (i.e. Mathematica) that'll reach those constraints anyways. CPU's go slower handling larger strings of code. Just like with the Macbook, you let the guinea pigs go first, and then you buy into the technology.

I'm no pioneer...the only time I'm buying into 64-bit is when it actually does something...or when it's just as cheap as 32-bit and I'm upgrading anyways.

You guys are a salesman's dream. Oooh, bigger is better. I see dollar bills in AMD's eyes.

Ya, you'll stay with your new and improved "64-bit" buggy you bought last year. Lost all your money on that thing and can't buy the real innovation.

I'm just kidding. I really don't care how you guys spend your money. Honestly, buy whatever makes you happy!

 

Luckily, for those of us that have looked into it, we know that waiting for 64-bit does have its advantages and at, get this, no extra cost. This is from one of the managers of PowerNotebooks on the upcoming Merom chips:

Considering this fact and that in three years or less, 64-bit programs will be around which will not be backward compatible with 32-bit processors, plus the fact that Vista will be released with a true 64-bit version to take advantage of the technology right away (with some minor added bonuses), I can see little reason to wait a little over 60 days for Merom.

~ Brett

 

Windows 98 was just dropped from microsoft support...32-bit isn't going out anytime soon. I'm not (trying to) putting down 64-bit...I'm just saying that it's nothing to get excited about. Yes, Vista will support it and the next generation processors will support the feature for "free". My opinion is, don't upgrade just to go 64-bit, it's nothing special.

64-bit doesn't do anything...those special bonuses are extras added by Microsoft to entice users over to 64-bit. Far-Cry did the same thing with "enhanced" content, which technically didn't require 64-bit to run.

By all means, if you are buying a new computer than definately go 64-bit. But don't upgrade for 64-bit...I wouldn't even wait for 64-bit, because to me it's that freaking pointless.

Someone please tell me the benefits of 64-bit. The real, technical, practical benefits for me...the average consumer. I've already gotten the 4gb+ thing down...I'm digging deep for anything else. Everyone is going the way of the buffalo, what legitimate reason is there for me to follow (other than "starving" after the herd passes by (go out of date)).

This isn't a rhetorical question...I'd like to know if I've missed something. I don't like looking that stupid...

 

The only legitimate reason is future-proofing. I want the computer I'm about to buy to last at least four years and still be able to install new software on it. What technologies will exist in four years? I'm not really sure, but I can say with near certainty that programs designed explicitly for 64-bit processors will be around and will not be backward compatible with 32-bit processors. For a computer which I want to last over four years, a couple of months is nothing to wait compared with the longevity it might give me.

~ Brett

 

That's legitimate enough of an argument for me...so I'll stop arguing.

The only thing I have to say is the fact that Vista is initially being released in 32-bit says a lot about the longevity of that platform in the future.

60 days is nothing to wait. Merom will be awesome beyond 64-bit, so it is something that I would even do.

Dual-core...that's awesome. 35 Watt peak consumption...that's even cooler. Physics...awesome. I just don't get the hype surrounding 64-bit. Oh well. Hopefully I'll be proven wrong and 64-bit will actually do something other than outdate my hardware.