Microsoft has released the latest build of the 64-bit version of Windows XP Professional. The company has also renamed the software from Windows XP 64-Bit Edition to Windows XP Professional x64 Edition. Compatible with 64-bit processors from both Intel (Xeon or Pentium 4 with EM64T extensions) and AMD (Operton and Athlon 64), the operating system's 64-bit extension technology provides you with the versatility to run both 32-bit and 64-bit applications, enabling companies to move to 64-bit computing at their own pace while preserving their current investment in 32-bit applications. The full release of the software is expected early next year.

Pros: Addresses more memory; native support for Bluetooth
Cons: Few 64-bit apps available; full release is constantly delayed


The major benefit of 64-bit computing should be a significant performance and scalability gains in applications that require large amounts of memory or intensive numeric calculations. For server applications, this includes database servers, Terminal Server deployments, business applications and technical computing. Desktop applications could include digital content creation, computer-aided design/manufacturing, and professional video editing.

Other key features include optimisation for the Itanium platform, increased floating point performance, as well as multiprocessing capabilities. With this build, Microsoft has also added support for a range of different languages including Japanese, German, French, Swedish, Spanish, Korean, Simplified Chinese, and Traditional Chinese, and improved its security.

Links:
Windows XP Professional x64 Edition Beta order/download site

BIOS, Aug 20, 04 | Print | Send | Comments (0) | Posted In Operating System