Microsoft today released its 64-bit version of Windows XP and Windows Server 2003 in beta form for Advanced Micro Devices’ forthcoming Opteron and Athlon64 processors, Laura Rohde reports for IDG News Service. According to Rohde, “The Athlon64 can run both 64-bit and 32-bit applications on a PC with a 64-bit operating system, and with the Microsoft’s Windows on Windows 64 emulation technology, customers can run current 32-bit applications on the 64-bit operating system all without a reduction in performance speeds, the company said in a statement.” Final releases of the OSes from Microsoft are scheduled for the first half of 2004. Full article here.
For info on Apple’s Mac OS X, read The Register’s Tony Smith’s take on Apple’s 64-bit OS situation and future plans here.
Related MacDailyNews article:
AMD launches Athlon 64; its first 64-bit chip for mainstream PCs – September 23, 2003
MacDailyNews Take: Here we go…
“without a reduction in performance” sounds a marketing FUD.
32-bit apps on the G5 profit somewhat of the 64-bit architecture (do not need emulation) and run a tad faster. Even more if recompiled..
Which *performance* on which system are we talking about as reference?
“… with the Microsoft’s Windows on Windows 64 emulation technology, …”
Bullshit. With any emulation, you get performance hit… how bad it is depends on many factors, but performance hit is unavoidable. Too bad Ms. Rohde did not press the issue and only parroted MS drivels.
Windows on Windows 64 – WTF? What a f*cked up name is that? sounds so rhetorically retarded – oh, I forgot, it’s the retard M$ we’re talking about here…
they should call it something like “Windows on Commordore 64” more appropriate and about as advanced as Windows gets.
“Windows on Windows”?
That sounds kinky.
Windows on Windows is probably based on VPC technology. I doubt there will not be a performance hit.
The naming gets better. Microsoft will have..
“64-bit versions of Windows Server 2003 (for Opteron), and Windows XP for the Athlon64 processor”
This means that your OS will VARY depending upon which CPU you have! Can you imaging the nightmare when Intel enters this mess?
64-bit Windows Server 2003 for Intel Xeon.
64-bit Windows Server 2003 for Intel Itanium.
64-bit Windows Server 2003 for AMD Opteron.
64-bit Windows Server 2003 for AMD Athlon 64.
32-bit Windows Server 2003
64-bit Windows XP for Intel Xeon.
64-bit Windows XP for Intel Itanium.
64-bit Windows XP for AMD Opteron.
64-bit Windows XP for AMD Athlon 64.
32-bit Windows XP
64-bit Windows Longhorn Server for Intel Xeon.
64-bit Windows Longhorn Server for Intel Itanium.
64-bit Windows Longhorn Server for AMD Opteron.
64-bit Windows Longhorn Server for AMD Athlon 64.
32-bit Windows Longhorn Server
64-bit Windows Longhorn Home for Intel Xeon.
64-bit Windows Longhorn Home for Intel Itanium.
64-bit Windows Longhorn Home for AMD Opteron.
64-bit Windows Longhorn Home for AMD Athlon 64.
32-bit Windows Longhorn Home
64-bit Windows Longhorn Pro for Intel Xeon.
64-bit Windows Longhorn Pro for Intel Itanium.
64-bit Windows Longhorn Pro for AMD Opteron.
64-bit Windows Longhorn Pro for AMD Athlon 64.
32-bit Windows Longhorn Pro
32-bit Windows CE .NET
32-bit Windows Embedded
32-bit Windows Mobile
32-bit Windows Mobile PC Phone Edition 2003
…and each one will have its weekly (weakly?) Service Packs, Security Updates and Security Patches.
So peecees will be able to send out viral emails and worms even faster. Wow, that will be great. So will the script kiddies be able to make their stuff 64 bit compatible?
Knowing microsoft buying this OS will probably be ridiculously expensive and will come with little more than the operating system itself