64bit Windows OS - Choices?

[Will Rickards]

So I'm building my new PC and figure maybe this is a good time to go 64 bit with the OS. I've never done that before though. So what are my OS choices (windows only)? And what are the gotchas? Any references out there on the web I should read?

 

[Mercutio]

Windows Server 2003, x64 edition.
It's the only decent choice at the moment.

 

[ddrueding]

IIRC:

Windows XP-64 - After the fact kludge that includes the Server 2003 kernel.
Vista 64 - Native goodness, Vista fatness
Server 2003 x64 - Pretty darn good all around, minor app compatability issues.

No matter what, you are likely to have some driver issue somewhere; 64-bit drivers are always lagging WAY behind.

 

[Will Rickards]

How much is a server 2003 x64 license?

 

[Mercutio]

Server 2003 Web edition is like $300.
Microsoft likes to give out free copies of Windows Server when you go to tech conferences and stuff, though.

I don't think x64 is worthwhile yet, at all.

 

[Handruin]

I've been hesitant to do anything 64-bit in the windows world unless if I need more than 4GB memory per process (which I don't). I know it doesn't fit your needs, but for my own personal 64-bit exploitation, I'm going to use Ubuntu.

Otherwise I'd concur with the others on server 2003 x64 for a windows environment. In our production VMWare environment, it has worked very well so far.

 

[ddrueding]

My next re-install will be 64-bit, because I'd like to go over 3.5GB of RAM. The games I like to play take about 1GB on their own. Add to that my VMWare play boxes (3-5@512MB each) and work stuff (3-5 RDC sessions, Firefox with ~20 tabs, Word 2007) in addition to Winamp and/or MPC. I could easily find a home for 8GB.

 

[Will Rickards]

I already have 4GB for this build. I figure one gig per core.

 

[Chewy509]

I've been running XP x64 on my home PC for quite a while now, and the only gotcha I had was the lack of TV Tuner card drivers (notably ATI All-In-Wonder). And drivers for other minor peripherals, eg webcams, scanners, etc. (If you have a SMB level printer from HP, Kyocera, etc, drivers are generally not a problem).

Application compatibility hasn't been a major issue for me personally, everything I've thrown at it worked, or was a 16bit application (which are no longer supported at all).

My new work laptop has Vista x64, and so far so good application wise**, just the lack of drivers for hardware again, which is the same as XP x64...

XP x64 SP2 feels snappier than XP SP2 x86, but then again that could just come from the hardware I have...

As for Vista, wait for SP1... Vista does have some good points, but IMHO the bad points currently outweigh the good points.

--
** I did have to use Virtual PC to run Windows XP SP2 for some legacy Foxpro based applications, as only Visual FoxPro v9 is officially supported in Vista x86 only. (Visual FoxPro is not supported on x64 OSs).

 

[Bozo]

I ran XP x64 SP2 for a short time. Driver issues sent me back to x86.

Bozo :joker:

 

[Will Rickards]

Sites I read say windows XP Pro x64 is based on the windows 2003 kernel. So it should be fine running that instead of windows server 2003, correct? A license for XP Pro x64 seems to be about $160 (viosoftware.com). MS has a 120 day trial version. I think I'll try that.

Does F@H run fine in XP x64?

 

[MaxBurn]

I ran XP x64 SP2 for a short time. Driver issues sent me back to x86.

Bozo :joker:

Me too, but the situation is WAY better now that it has been around a while.

 

[Chewy509]

Sites I read say windows XP Pro x64 is based on the windows 2003 kernel.

Correct, Windows XP x64 is based on Windows 2003 SP1. (You'll note that Windows XP x64 goes straight from RTM to SP2 as well because of this...).

 

[Clocker]

I can never go 64-bit until there are drivers for my BT878 Win-TV GO tuner card. I think I will be waiting a long long long time.

 

[Chewy509]

I can never go 64-bit until there are drivers for my BT878 Win-TV GO tuner card. I think I will be waiting a long long long time.

http://www.planetamd64.com/index.php?showtopic=13012

 

[Clocker]

Yeah, I saw that thread after I posted. It would be nice to see that more than just one or two people have had success with the driver before I waste the time to get a 64-bit copy and install it. :-( Plus it seems like the file links there are dead.

 

[Chewy509]

Yeah, I saw that thread after I posted. It would be nice to see that more than just one or two people have had success with the driver before I waste the time to get a 64-bit copy and install it. :-( Plus it seems like the file links there are dead.

If it's a Leadtek, then: http://tw1965.myweb.hinet.net/x64.htm (This driver is based on the previous link I gave).

 

[Clocker]

Per my post above, it's a Win-TV (Hauppauge).

 

[Will Rickards]

Well a little research online and it looks like my scanner (Epson Perfection 1260 Photo) and Printer (Okidata B4200) don't have windows x64 drivers. The printer is acting funny anyway. Probably from all that dust. It is like 2 inches off my hard wood floor in a corner. I probably need to clean it. It keeps complaining about a paper jam but there is no paper jam. But it prints fine.

Incidentally I haven't replaced the toner cartridge since I bought the printer 3 years ago.

I rarely use either of them though. But my wife wouldn't like it if the printer didn't work.

 

[Will Rickards]

Okidata support tells me I can use the HP laserjet 6 driver in XP x64. So we are a go... as soon as that replacement PSU arrives.