On Fri, 24 Feb 2012 12:29:29 +0100, "Fokke Nauta"
wrote:

"Rob" wrote in message
...

cut

If you use 32-bit applications which benefit from using as much
memory as available, you will see a significant performance boost
when running them under Win7x64.
Each 32-bit application is allocated a full 4GB of RAM in x64,
instead of 3.something which is available under XP 32-bit.
If you had (say) 16GB of RAM, x64 would allow Photoshop to use
4GB, plus app2 using it's *own* 4GB plus app3 using it's *own*
4GB, all running simultaneously.
I can state from my own experience of using 32-bit image processing
(astronomy) software that using x64 is a huge advantage in my work.
HTH
--
Rob


Hi Rob,
I see your point. But I don't use a specific application that would benefit
of more memory.
One exception may be VMWare. Sometimes I use a situation where I have
VMware definitely benefits from 64-bit, even when the virtual machines
are 32-bit.

Many new devices don't have XP support, so going forward you need to
move to Windows 7 (Windows 8, I suppose.)

Most programs that are for Windows XP can run on Windows 7 using an
XP virtual machine, even if you use Microsoft's free one. Some more
programs work if you use VMware Workstation.

Some old hardware doesn't work on Windows 7, some works on Windows
7 32-bit but not one Windows 7 64-bit. You have to see what
the case is for your hardware.

Much of the hardware with no Windows 7 drivers can work with a
virtual machine on Windows 7, but some old hardware can no longer
be installed on any new installations, even if they are working
on current Windows XP systems. Some of these might work if
you made a virtual machine out of your Windows XP system partition
and got the virtual machine XP "activated" by Microsoft.)

In some cases you might need new peripherals.

multiple virtual machines running on a virtual network. In only that case I
would benefit from more memory. But this does not happen often.
On the other hand, I wont be able to use some applications as they won't run
on W 7 64-bit.

Fokke