64 bit celebration for Microsoft

Today, the much anticipated 64 bit processing solution will reveal its secrets. The launching will take place during the WinHEC, organized in Seattle, and the system is compatible both with the Intel 64 bit processors and the ones from Advanced Micro Devices.

This system, in its end-user and enterprise versions, was awaited by the whole IT community. Microsoft had announced last month that the final versions of Windows Server 2003 x64 Edition and Windows XP Professional x64 Edition are now in RTM (Release to Manufacture) stage and they will be available at the end of April.

Moreover, Microsoft had already launched the trial versions of the two operating systems, and last month, the downloads of the release-candidate version of Windows XP Professional x64 Edition were stopped, announcing in this way the imminent release of the final operating system optimized for 64 bits. Currently, the only trial version available for download on the Microsoft website is the Windows Server 2003 x64 Edition.

Microsoft has outlined some of the advantages of the 64 bit operating systems over the 32 bit ones. Regarding virtual memory support, the 64 bit Windows will support up to 16 TB, compared to the 4GB support offered by the 32-bit system. The cache memory of the system will be increased from 1GB to 1TB.

Still, the most important question regarding the 64 bit technology should not be answered by Microsoft. It should answered by the producers of compatible hardware solutions which are about to launch compatible devices. For now, according to the estimations made by Greg Sullivan, lead product manager for the Microsoft Windows project, over 16,000 equipments are compatible with Windows XP Professional x64 Edition.