One of the common choices today is whether to run a 32-bit or 64-bit operating system on desktop machines. Since 32-bit operating systems have been in production for many years, 32-bit still seems ...

Your new computer has a 64-bit processor, but your software probably is still 32-bit. Why haven't software developers done more about it?

64-bit computing is replacing 32-bit, mainly because 64-bit enables faster hardware and software. Here's the rundown on the ongoing 32-bit vs. 64-bit debate.

For now, a crisis seems to have been averted. But for how long? At what point will it be acceptable to finally remove the ability to natively run 32-bit software from modern operating systems?

One of the more common questions I hear about Vista is which bit version of Windows Vista should one get. Do we go with x86 32 bit edition or x64 64 bit edition?

No. 64-bit Windows will not run on 32-bit architecture, and, in fact, you can't even install it. That said, you can install and run 32-bit Windows on any hardware, both 32-bit and 64-bit.

If your version of Windows is 64-bit, you're able to install both 32-bit and 64-bit software programs, so there are two different "Program Files" folders on your computer. However, 32-bit versions ...

More and more frequently, users are installing the 64-bit version of their operating system of choice over the less capable 32-bit version.

In spite of the obvious performance boost, adoption of the Firefox 64-bit version is still low. Mozilla says that 70% of Firefox users on 64-bit Windows are still running the 32-bit version.