Advantages of 64bit Installation

I run a PC with AMD64 3400+ 2.8Ghz CPU (one cpu), with 1GB RAM.

It can ( as you indicate) run both 32 and 64 bits OSes, what ever I want to run and boot with.

This PC has: o...32 bits Ubuntu 5.10 Desktop (daily production usage). o...32 bits Ubuntu 6.04 develpment-test only. o...64 bits Ubuntu 5.10 development-testing. o...64 bits Fedora Core with Xen (just for fun).

The 64bit kernels and 64bit applications run slightly quicker than the 32bit counterparts, as one could expect. I have no exact measures of this, just a firm feeling. ---------------------------------

- The AMD64 3400+ CPU needs heavy cooling and the cabinet of this box isn't very isolated so the fans make a bit too much noise. (This machine was originally itended to run as a server in some distant server room?).

- Shortage of pre-compiled 64bit java-flash plugins may be a problem. The reason I still (daily) run 32bit Ubuntu is that all Firefox plugins-mp3-dvdetc are very easy to setup. 64 bit Ubuntu is more challenging in that matter! Maybe Fedora-core 64 is different?

64 bits drivers? NVidia's display drivers work well both in 32 and 64 bit. Own driver package for each. If the kernel 64 bit then all drivers must be 64! ---

An old saying: "No one will need more than 637 kb of memory for a personal computer."

I do some programming, email and use the internet with some applications + play multimedia, but have ever never seen this box swapping. Amount of RAM is 1GB. No one will ever need more! ;-)

E11