Some Vista 64 questions.

What are the major differences between 32/64 Vista Ultimate?
Is it worth/how does one upgrade?

I'm looking at an M1330 with either T8100 or T8300, and I'm assuming these are suitable?

 

vista 64 uses the 64 bit capabilities of your proccessor and in therory runs faster.

 

You're new to the board, so you don't know that this subject has been discussed many many times. In fact, the only other subject that has been discussed as much is 'Vista vs. XP.' At any rate, if you type in Vista 64-bit or something like that in the search field, you'll get many many threads about this exact topic. You'll find some very helpful information in them.

 

And also,64 bit drivers are harder to find that 32 bit ones.
Technically, 64 bit OS are more secure,and while they should run faster,they can only benefit from true 64 bit apps.
Honestly,64bit Vista is close enough to Vista 32 bit.
And the license key for either one of them works with the other too.

You must not be aware that users with 100 or less posts cannot use the search function http://forum.notebookreview.com/showthread.php?t=249188

 

Pardon me if I'm wrong, but I do believe that both of these statements are false based on what I've read in the past. Drivers for x64 are not that difficult to find anymore. Vista x64 is becoming more widely used and people are finding more and more drivers with relatively more ease. Also, some newer laptops have begun popping up on the market with x64.

The license key is not interchangeable unless you're upgrading, I believe. When you pay for the disc, you're paying for x32 or x64. Other than that, every disc is essentially the same.

You're right about me not knowing that you had to have 100 posts to use the search function. I tried to word it in a way as to not sound like a smart@ss to the OP. I was certainly not trying to give him or her a hard time. I know that there is a lot of good information in many of the threads about this topic.

 

Actually when you pay for the disc, yes you are buying a 32 or 64 bit version, however, what you are paying for is Ultimate vs. Home Prem. vs. Buisness, etc. If you have paid for Vista Ultimate 32bit and choose to install Ultimate 64bit instead, your license will work fine for that. You just need to have the 64bit disc.

As for the driver issue, yes this used to be an issue, but for someone buying a new laptop, it shouldn't be a problem. I believe that you can go to the Dell website, and find every driver necessary to run x64.

 

Technically, x64 drivers ARE harder to find. True though. It does not mean they are scarce.

The biggest hurdle you face swtiching to an x64 OS is the fact that is essentially a different operating system. While most applications you run will probably run just fine on Vista x64, be prepared for any odd incompatabilities wiht third party software.

You should make a list of software that you are running and see if any of them have any major issues with Vista 64.

 

Agreed, but if you are buying a new system, then it shouldn't be a problem.

 

The license doesn't differentiate from 32 or 64 bit, just HP, Business, Ultimate.

I have found my Vista x64 experience wonderful. I didn't have any problems for the year I ran x86 though either. If you are going to get a machine with 4 GB+ of RAM you should definitely look to go the x64 route.

 

64bit driver ARE harder to find, I`m not talking about system provided ones, but others , like printers,sound cards,and compatibility with some isolated software,like CAD.
Also,the license key from a 32 bit installation works on a 64 bit, we`ve been through this.
I have tested it myself, as many others have too.
I still recommend Vista 64 for the best choice,since Core 2 Duos and AMD X2`s are 64 bit CPUs.

 

Legally, this only applies to retail keys. This does not apply to OEM keys.

Regardless though, it is possible that to try to activate your x64 installation with a x86 OEM key because Microsoft has nice customer reps.

 

Yup, retail are interchangeable but not OEMs. Most of the reps don't care (because they know the costumer is gonna argue and get mad anyway). The OEM on the computers aren't activated yet so they should work.

 

I have 2 OEM disks,1 with 32 bit vista and 1 with 64 bit.
Both work with the same key, and they`re not retail.

 

MS couldnt care less if you used a x32 OEM key on a x64.

WHY?

because they are practically the exact same thing. There are no new or extra features in x64!

Being able to utilize 4gb+ isnt a feature.

 

Dreamscene and a few others...

 

Dreamscene is a Vista Ultimate feature. not x64

and NO, ultimate isnt the only version that comes in 64bit. Where are people getting this?

 

Dude, seriously, calm down. That's why I prefaced what I said with 'pardon me if I'm wrong.' I wasn't trying to discredit what you said. Having discussion is the purpose of this forum. Settle down.

 

settle down...........

settle down......

what!!!!!!!!!!

Oh, OK

 

woops, you're right. forgot. It's just most vista ultimate pc's are x64 so i assumed.

 

Thanks for the replies, everyone.

 

I don`t see where you got the idea that I`m nervous or anything
I`m a peaceful guy, but the OP should not be missinformed, and I used a lot of relevant data to back it up. Aren`t we all here to help anyway ?
Trust me,if I gave off an alarm signal,it was only because I`ve been down this road and specifically asked my supplier about 32/64 bit keys

 

Windows 32bit vs 64bit-benchmark

Performance: A computer with a 64-bit CPU is supposed to be more powerful than one with a 32-bit processor. Of course, you need a 64-bit OS to utilize its 64-bit capabilities. The problem is, not only that the OS, but also the applications must support 64 bit to improve performance. Since 32-bit is still predominant in the Windows area, Vista x64 won’t speed up your system in most cases.


Security features

Other unique x64 features

Compatibility issues and other limitations

Full Article

 

very helpful im trying to figure out which one to install my self since i have exactly 4gb of ram to install what would you suggest ?

 

Which what? If you mean which version of x64 Vista, I would recommend Home Premium. Best bang for your buck; and besides, Ultimate's features really are a waste of hard disk space. I regret choosing Ultimate, myself.

If you mean which architecture, x86 or x64, I would conditionally recommend x64. First, check that your laptop manufacturer has 64-bit drivers. Second, check that all the programs you intend to use don't run into problems on x64.

Lets be clear and up front. A lot of people on this forum have been exagerrating the "compatibility issues" on x64 Vista. Rest assured that most of them probably haven't used x64 Vista or never planned properly before just running in and installing it.

Vista x64 has a 32-bit emulation layer that allows it to run 32-bit applications. But, just because some 32-bit apps won't run is no reason to conclude that Vista is at fault. There are far too many people out there that are allowed to write programs. Of course, it doesn't really matter to the end user either way, as he/she is left without a working application.

 

On the other end of the spectrum, how many people will honestly notice the performance boost. Or see the boost from an extra 600 MB of memory. IMHO, the average user will lose more productivity due to x64 incompatibilities than they gain from x64 features.

But sometimes the braggin rights are worth it!

 

In my opinion, its worth upgrading if you go for 4GB of RAM as well; I've enjoyed a considerable improvement in performance, especially when running games and opening applications. But alone, you're right; some people might not notice. It depends on what they run.

 

I've enjoyed my Vista 64-bit experience ever since I've installed it. The only thing that sucks is M-audio does not support Vista much and I've got a USB soundcard that can't be supported under Vista 64-bit (but with XP drivers it works under 32-bit; Previously I did not think I was gonna be using Vista anytime soon but I got me a new laptop ).

Moral of my story? Research your existing hardware/software compatibility. Also make sure your manufacturer has available 64-bit drivers. Dell has pretty good support for Vista 64-bit.

 

off topic: Man, I'm so wishing I got the midnight blue. I keep having flashbacks of that mech in the Dell inspiron commercials.

On topic: x64 OSes. I just don't feel the average user makes significant use of 2GB of RAM. I only top 2GBs when I run my VMs or when I'm F@H. But it is kinda cool to say you got x64 Vista. Just like when I told my friends, yeah, I got 4 Gigs of RAM. Mine is bigger than yours.

 

Hummm, I have 32, I feel intimated to ask questions about 64.

 

64bit is the future...

join early or join later.

 

Creative still hasn`t released 64 bit drivers for my USB sound card.
IT`s those incompatibilities and lack of drivers that drive me nuts.

 

the vista 32 vs 64 benchmarks posted above are tested with machines of only one ram configuration. I have read many reports stating that 32bit versions of vista work faster than 64bit versions of vista on a low ram system and vice versa on a high ram system e.g. 2gb+ What is really needed is for someone to use several benchmarking tools e.g. sisandra, passmark, pcmark 05, on the same machine using first a 32 bit version then a 64 bit version of vista. These results would needed to be repeated for accuracy, and then repeated again with a different ram configuration.

 

Why would you wanna use 64bit on lower RAM setup? (3gb or less)

The main idea of 64bit is to being able to address more RAM

 

i quote from microsoft :
The 64-bit editions of Windows Vista are for the serious computer users who have advanced high-performance needs and are running a computer system with a 64-bit processor. These editions bring together Windows Vista innovation with cutting-edge PC hardware to deliver access to vast amounts of memory, stronger security, and a new level of reliability. Security features such as Data Execution Prevention (DEP) and Microsoft's PatchGuard provide an additional layer of security against threats, while increased memory capabilities improve the performance of applications with heavy memory demands.

For businesses, Windows Vista 64-bit editions are ideal for engineering (CAD/CAM) work, digital content creation, scientific/technical computing, and even demanding financial analysis, all on computer systems with 64-bit processors.

In the consumer market, Windows Vista 64-bit editions are for serious gamers, high-quality media creators, and enthusiasts who demand the most from digital media and are running computer systems with 64-bit processors.

Increased amount of addresable ram isn't the only reason people are using 64 bit OSes and as you can see from a previous post in this forum, benchmarking shows 64bit to be somewhat faster than 32bit vista (at least on that computer's specifications).

 

Okay, I installed the x64 version yesterday and my home printer doesn't support that. As it is a USB printer, I think I can still print it under VMWare virtual machine, but I have yet to test it.

Anyway, I was wondering if I can run it on VM, then how to print from my host using network as a communication path without true drivers? I mean I would need a virtual printer driver for my host OS that would print a PS-file and then another application at the client OS that would take that file and print it with the native drivers.

I mean the printing procedure would be like this:

1) I press print in Word
2) The virtual printer driver produces a PS file
3) The virtual driver makes TCPIP connection (raw socket) to a IP address
4) The client OS under the VM listens for that connection
5) The client OS receives the PS from the TCPIP connection
6) The client OS prints the received file using default print driver installed


There must be something like that ready made. It's just matter of finding it. Anyone knows where?

 

i knew you were gonna point out the security aspect of 64bit. Most people dont care about this because of the driver/compatibility issues they might face on x64. Thats why i say it all comes down to 4gb, as it will mostly benefit on this setup

btw DEP is in XP and in Vista32 regardless

have you tried using the 32bit drivers anyway?

or Is it not working because the driver is unsigned?

 

if you say so

 

Am I the only one who sees a ridiculously elaborate way to print one sheet of paper?

 

Have you tried a driver for a similar printer? My HP P1000 that is 9+ years old isn't supported under Vista, but I was able to find a driver for a similar printer that worked perfectly fine.

 

One? How do you know how many sheets I print before the printer dies and I have to buy new one?
The only alternative is to buy a new printer and they (color laser) cost here 180 euros at minimum. As it is matter of my personal money, I'm not very fond to idea spending that amount just for sake of drivers.

And in any case, a universal driver like that would make corporate live easier since you could hook to any shared printer, no matter what the model or driver situation is as long as the host has the redirect software. That is why I think something like this just plain and simple must exist already.

 

No, but perhaps I should investigate that option. I just don't know how easily Canon drivers might work like that or how selective the Vista is.

 

I would start by searching Google for your model and Vista, and you might be surprised what you will find.

 

I cannot find a driver that has support for Canon LBP5000 and x64. Only some URF/PCL drivers, but they don't work with this printer.

 

I assume you have tried the 32-bit driver on x64?

 

^^ 64-bit operating systems need 64-bit drivers. It won't work.

 

Now I have per your request, even while I knew what it would result: a failure. 32 bit drivers don't work on x64 Vista, that is a fact and I think there is no point trying them (on any device). That said, this driver was last 32 bit experiement I will ever make because it is just waste of time.

Looks like it is either fall back to the original idea about network printing with virtual drivers, buy new printer (not going to happen) or print PDFs and manually re-print them under the virtual machine. I don't like 3rd option because I'm too lazy for that.

 

Well, I didn't figure that it would, but I figured that it was at least worth a try.