WinXP 64

[GORDON]

For no good reason, I decided to give it a try tonight.

I'll post my progress as well as I can.

And I hope this WinXP key finder/generator works.

Because, of course, I've misplaced my legally acquired winxp 64 corporate key, and I'm trying to randomly regenerate it.......



Edited By GORDON on 1168127207

[TheCatt]

Good luck. I hope this isn't your primary machine, word on the street is 64-bit drivers can be hard to find.

[GORDON]

I have the drivers I need. The board is obviously rated for a 64 bit cpu, I have 64 bit video drivers, and I found a 64 bit driver for my old HP printer.

Now, read the *other* thread.........

[GORDON]

- Installation looks like any other WinXP install.
- My ASUS mobo driver disk automatically launched into 64-bit-driver mode, for setup. That was cool. This is more of a shoutout to ASUS than Microsoft.

[GORDON]

- My ASUS mobo driver disk automatically launched into 64-bit-driver mode, for setup. That was cool. This is more of a shoutout to ASUS than Microsoft.

- Ditto the NVIDIA drivers of my EVGA 7800 GTX video card. Props NVIDIA and EVGA.

[GORDON]

- HP also had a 64 bit driver available for my 3 year old Deskjet 895c. Go go HP. (Now if we could only get them to stop gouging us for printer ink...)

[Vince]

They really aren't gouging us on the ink. All the heating elements that boil the ink out the little holes in a precise and even pattern are in the cartridge. Pretty much half the mechanical process of an ink jet printer lies in the cartridge. That's why they're expensive.

[GORDON]

Yeah but ounce for ounce it's among the most expensive substances on the planet.

[GORDON]

- Have loaded some 32 bit apps. So far so good... though I haven't done any resource-intensive games, yet. I'm hoping there won't be a degradation in performance in a "run this 32 bit app on this 64 bit OS" layer.

[GORDON]

Anyone know if there's a 64 bit version of Firefox? 5 minutes on their website and I couldn't find it mentioned.

Also, there's no 64 bit Winamp, at this time. One guy in the support forums called 64-bit archetecture "marketing hype." He wasn't an official developer, though. Just one of those guy who kiss ass/cheerlead for the devs.

[Vince]

Yeah but ounce for ounce it's among the most expensive substances on the planet.

No, that would be pussy.

[thibodeaux]

Is pussy a substance, or a location? Regardless, you're right.

[GORDON]

Ha, "a location."

[GORDON]

- If you look at the processes tab in a ctl-alt-del, all 32 bit apps running have a "*32" after the name of the object running. Interesting.

[GORDON]

Final thought:

So far I am completely satisfied with WinXP64. I had no trouble locating 64 bit drivers for my hardware, some of which is 3 years old. I've read that games (the only reason I'm still n a Windows platfor at all) are beginning to release 64 bit versions, though the 32 bit versions I've attempted have worked fine... though no doubt with a slight performance hit.

Finally I don't feel like I'm driving a V-8 with 4 spark plugs pulled.

I'm so satisfied that I may... *gasp*... actually buy a license for this. It feels like the first actual improvement on Windows since Win95.

[TheCatt]

Why not just buy Vista with 64bits?

[GORDON]

Why not just buy Vista with 64bits?

Don't know. Might. My PC is like 6 months old... it may not be powerful enough to run Vista.

[TheCatt]

True.

[GORDON]

Anyone know if there's a 64 bit version of Firefox?

I found one... but it's Firefox 3, it's alpha, and it's called "Minefield." I couldn't install the Flash plugin, so I reckon I'm waiting.