The following was written by "braytonak" in this thread, the last post. And I thought at the tie it was a great post.

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You have to be comfortable with the fact that there's always something about to come out. That does NOT make what you buy obsolete the next week.

Quad-core processors are overkill and woefully underutilized at this point. A quad-core essentially is four processors in one, but it takes software that is written to take advantage of each core to see any advantage. Without that software, nearly all software will simply not utilize those cores. There is a way to specify to the system which application will use which core, but that means its processes are not spread among the cores, which is where you would have found speed benefits of the quad-core.

No matter what flavor of processor you end up with, AMD or Intel, you'll be pleased. AMD tends to have a price advantage, but Intel for the past year or so has been designing some very efficient performers.

My suggestion is to look for dual core units, called Duo by Intel and x2 by AMD. Ignore any marketing material that claims a processor is more desirable because it's 64-bit. Unless you were specifically seeking out 64-bit software, including a 64-bit version of Vista, there's no practical advantage at this time. The speed, or MHz, is not a literal guarantee of how fast the system will run. There are so many variables that a system with a higher MHz number really can perform worse than one with a lower number. I suggest you also find a system with as much RAM as possible. No less than 2 GB if you're getting a system with Vista installed.

Other than looking for a dual core unit with at least 2 GB of RAM, just go by price point and, in the case of notebooks, how the screen looks to you. (Is the screen dull or crystal clear? Does text appear too small for you to comfortably read for long lengths of time? Is the whole notebook too large or is the keyboard too small for your hands?)

Yes, having as much RAM as possible is why I was researching the 64-bit question. Some PC offer 4 or even more but 32 bit does not use more than 3Gb.

I was also wondering if Windows would be only available in 64 bit in the future... if software RAM requirements continue to increase, would it not force Microsoft into offering 64 bit only at some point? As slow as I am replacing PCs, this unit would have to last 5-10 years. That is why I wonder whether I should adopt 64 bit now.

I wish I could do look at the screen of some of the units. I have looked at some Acer laptop monitors and some Toshiba ones as well already. Need to continue "looking".

I recently bought a laptop, and had to make the same decision. After reading several articles, I decided to go with the 32-bit Vista.

If I ever need to upgrade in the future, I'll get the new Windows 7 and add more RAM if necessary.

Below is one of the articles I read.

Here is a link that might be useful: Should You

A nice article. Thanks for the link, mona.

Luis, this is what Kim Komando had to say on this subject in her Tip of the Day yesterday. You can search for the full article (which deals with buying a laptop) on her site komando.com

"On Intel machines, that translates to Core 2 Duo or the Core 2 Quad. The Core i7, a brand new chip, will eventually supplant the Core 2 series. They are all screamers. That's true of AMD's Turion X2, too.

A lot of notebooks are sporting 64-bit Windows Vista these days. This is the system of the future. Theoretically, a 64-bit system can handle twice the data of a 32-bit system. Unfortunately, the 64-bit system may be a little early. Some games and professional level programs are 64-bit. Otherwise, it's practically all 32-bit.

Your son's 32-bit programs will run on 64-bit Windows. But they will run in emulation, since they're not native. It's called Windows on Windows 64, or WoW64.

Windows 64 can address much more memory than Windows 32. So high-powered corporate programs might like it. Or, if you're a bleeding-edge type person, go for Windows 64. Otherwise, I'd stick with 32-bit Windows until software publishers catch up."

HTH

Hello Luis_pr, my name is Rick and I work with the Windows Outreach Team. I wanted to comment on your questions about 32 Vs 64 bit Vista. Currently most of the computer manufactures are building and offering machines that meet minimum requirements of both Vista additions. However, as you have already discovered, you will only be able to take advantage of 3.6 gigs of your ram in Vista 32. If you do not want to ÂgupgradeÂh in the future I would choose a computer with 4 gigs of Ram and Vista 64 (which are quite common and affordable at the moment). Most new processors and software will be built or written with 64bit architecture. 64 bit, is becoming the new standard for PC technology and most new apps and hardware will be built for that. I wouldnÂft worry about compatibility issues right now as many of the issues from the past have been worked out and moving forward the software will be written with the new 64bit standard. It should be noted that you will not be able to upgrade from 32 to 64, so you have to choose which ever addition you want from the start. If you have more specific questions that you wish answered I would be happy to help.
Rick

Mr Rickr not sure where you got the fact that you can't go from a 32 to 64 ...I did, I just installed the other CD that came with my machine. I am currently running Vista Ultimate X64.

Maybe it was just my machine.

Big Al
Semper Fi

Hi big_al_41, I apologize for the confusion, as mentioned in my post I said you cannot ÂgupgradeÂh from 32 to 64 bit Vista, with an upgrade version, however you can do a fresh install of 64 from 32. This is the quote from the Vista Resource Page. ( http://windowshelp.microsoft.com/Windows/en-US/Help/41531554-d5ef-4f2c-8fb9-149bdc5c8a701033.mspx#EFF )
Âh If you are currently running a 32-bit version of Windows, you can only perform an upgrade to another 32-bit version of Windows. Similarly, if you are running a 64-bit version of Windows Vista, you can only perform an upgrade to another 64-bit version of Windows Vista.
If you want to move from a 32-bit version of Windows to a 64-bit version of Windows Vista, back up your files and perform a clean installation of the 64-bit version of Windows Vista.Âh
If I understand you correctly you had performed a Clean Install. I hope that answers your question.
Rick, Windows Outreach Team.

Hmm, sounds like 64-bit Windows is not ready for general use if its 32-bit emulations do not work flawlessly. Since I have some must-have 32-bit software where the software maker does not have 64-bit versions yet, I will order the laptop with a 32-bit Windows a-n-d 4Gb of RAM, understanding some of that RAM will not be used now. Then, when all my software is available in 64 bit, I will try the fresh o/s install suggestion.

Mona's article (see the link) said that some things to be concerned included 32-bit BIOS with a 64-bit O/S. Is that a concern or did I misunderstand the writer?

Luis

Luis, I just read a great independent article on your very discussion, I have found to be pretty informative and it addresses many of the discussions concerns, read it over at this link: http://blogs.chron.com/techblog/archives/2008/12/should_i_get_a_new_pc_with_64bit_windows_vist_1.html
Rick

Oh great. I currently use Adobe Flash for some important tasks. Adobe better get that taken care of soon.

One question if I may, Rick. Exactly what happens when you try to use a 32-bit application that "does not run" or does not run well in Vista 64-bit? Do I get the blue screen of death, do I get an unrepeatable error message or what? Just wondering...

Luis, I have to apologize, as I cannot predict what specifically will happen with individual software issues that might arise. Most likely you will receive an error message that will notify you of some sort of conflict. If you are wondering what the error messages mean you can always copy the error code and reference it in that software manufactureÂs support site or on a forum such as this, or paste it into Live Search and see if it will return any info about that specific error. Usually when there is an error of this kind it requires a simple software patch, easily obtained from the Software Publisher. If there is a specific error you are concerned with let me know and I can help you find a solution to that question. You should know that most publishers are working very hard to create 64bit compliant software and those conflicts are becoming more rare.
Rick