[ubuntu-us-ut] 64-bit vs 32-bit (Was: Re: 10.04 CD shipment ordered)

[Aaron Toponce]

On 4/7/2010 4:07 PM, Christer Edwards wrote:
> If you have 4G+, absolutely use 64bit. You'd be crazy and wasteful not to.
> 
> If you don't, well.. it's up to you, but I still won't bother.

As I mentioned, there's a lot more to the 64-bit side of the coin than
the total amount of physical RAM in your system. If you have 64-bit
hardware, and you are running a 64-bit operating system, you _will_ see
performance and reliability improvements, as I outlined, even if you
have less than 4GB of RAM. You're deliberately holding your hardware,
and ultimately your productivity, back by running a 32-bit operating
system on 64-bit hardware.

> I still think you're running it mostly on principle (if you're going
> to pick on me a little, I'm going to do the same) ;)

No worries. I deserve to get picked on more than I am. You are right,
however, that I am mostly running 64-bit out of principle. At least,
that is how it started. But, I have the hardware, so why not? Why not
get more on the bus? Why not get more out of my CPU? Why not get more
out of virtual address space? Why not get increased file I/O? Why not
get increased stability? Even if I have 2GB of installed RAM on my
notebook, why should I run 32-bit over 64-bit? From my seat, it doesn't
offer any benefits, yet 64-bit over 32-bit does. Even with 2GB of RAM.

I too run proprietary 32-bit applications. I use Adobe reader. I use
Mathematica 7. I'm running the 32-bit flash browser plugin (although I
now know the 64-bit one is available, so I'll likely upgrade). But these
32-bit apps don't make up 1/2 the time I'm on my machine. I'm usually in
a 64-bit browser, with a 64-bit email client, behind a 64-bit terminal,
using 64-bit Vim, etc.

All-in-all, I'll argue that if you have the physical hardware,
regardless of RAM installation, you should be running 64-bit. After all,
you paid for it, so why not get every penny out of your hardware? (Now
I'm starting to sound like a Gentoo sympathizer. :) )

-- 
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