32 Bit vs. 64 Bit Vista

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I recently bought a laptop with a 64 bit processor, but the 32 bit version of
Vista is what it came with.

Would it make it perform any better if it had come with the 64 bit version?

Is there any way to get the other version?
 
I recently bought a laptop with a 64 bit processor, but the 32 bit version of
Vista is what it came with.

Would it make it perform any better if it had come with the 64 bit version?

Is there any way to get the other version?
Click to expand...

Unless you need the extra memory addressability of 64 bits, or have 64-bit
dependent applications, I would recommend using the 32-bit version of Vista.
Why? Beacause there is a decided lack of 64-bit drivers for 3rd-party
peripheral equipment, and a lot of stuff will just not work straight out of
the box. 32-bit drivers have a lot more development priority, as that
customer base is much, much larger.
 
There is currently little to no benefit to running any 64-bit OS unless you
either need to support more than 4gb of memory or if the applications you
need to run are 64-bit apps. Many vendors don't have 64-bit drivers out
there yet and you can't use 32-bit drivers instead.

--
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Mandi said:
I recently bought a laptop with a 64 bit processor, but the 32 bit
version of Vista is what it came with.

Would it make it perform any better if it had come with the 64 bit
version?
Click to expand...

Probably not.
Is there any way to get the other version?
Click to expand...

Sure, contact the vendor of the laptop and ask if the 64 bit version is
available for your particular laptop or you could always just purchase
it after you determine you can find all the drivers you'll need.
 
So if I were to switch to the 64 bit version, chances are that my printer and
scanner wouldn't work with my computer anymore (they are both quite a bit
older than the new laptop)?

Thanks for the input. I'm pretty illiterate when it comes to computers, but
I did notice this the other day so I was wondering how much it would actually
affect the performance (which I have no complaints about anyhow).
 
Mandi said:
So if I were to switch to the 64 bit version, chances are that my
printer and scanner wouldn't work with my computer anymore (they
are both quite a bit older than the new laptop)?
Click to expand...

Correct. You'd need to visit the website(s) of the manufacturer(s) and
see if they offer a download of Vista 64 drivers. If so, fine, if not,
you'll have to think about upgrading the hardware along with the
software. Sometimes, it's only a matter of time, I've had good luck
getting drivers for my hardware but I noticed one thing, the older
devices get the new drivers LAST! As you might expect, there's more
demand for drivers for the newer devices and older printers, scanners,
etc. are done on a "When we get around to it" basis.

Other old stuff is so well established that drivers are built in, my
ancient HP LaserJet 6L has built in drivers in Vista from the first
beta versions.

If you list specific hardware someone here will probably be able to
tell you if there are drivers available.
Thanks for the input. I'm pretty illiterate when it comes to
computers, but I did notice this the other day so I was wondering
how much it would actually affect the performance (which I have no
complaints about anyhow).
Click to expand...

Performance is relative. Years back I had an computer with an Intel
25DX chip and Windows 3.0, today I have an AMD Athlon 64 3400+ and BOTH
computers would type this message at 30 wpm, I didn't gain a bit of
speed by upgrading. <G>

So if you're running some very intense software applications speed is
very important but for many (or maybe I should say MOST) of us it
doesn't matter very much.
 
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