A brief introduction to the Windows version Windows is the most widely used operating system for everyday use and the most widely used client operating system worldwide. For domestic users, the initial understanding of Windows may start from Windows 3.x, and since the release of Windows 95, the popularity of Windows in China has reached a new height. The client Windows we generally use (and have used), according to the release time, mainly includes: Windows 3.x, Windows 95, Windows 95 Second Edition, Windows 98, Windows 98 Second Edition, Windows 2000 Professional Windows Me, Windows XP Professional/Home, in addition to Windows 2000 and Windows XP, the rest of the Windows are 16-bit or 16-bit and 32-bit mixed, so the stability and performance are not very good. From Windows 2000 to Windows XP, the Windows operating system has turned to pure 32-bit, and the stability and reliability have been greatly improved. Starting with Windows XP, Microsoft began to reach out to the 64-bit field and began to develop 64-bit Windows XP, which is the Windows XP Professional x64 Edition that we mainly introduce to you. Introduction to Windows XP Professional x64
For the average user, it will definitely be considered, since the existing 32-bit version of Windows is still very good, why upgrade to 64-bit, and because of 32-bit and 64-bit hardware (mainly It is not compatible with the CPU and the motherboard, and it may cost a lot of money. So what are the advantages of 64? Is it necessary for a general user to upgrade to a 64-bit system? Windows XP Professional x64 Edition is designed to meet the needs of customers who require large amounts of memory and floating point performance in areas such as mechanical design and analysis, 3D animation, video editing and authoring, and scientific computing and high-performance computing applications. Performance Benefits of Dedicated Technology Applications
64-bit computing performance excels in areas such as automotive or aircraft design because it allows engineers to create larger, more complex models. With such a system, engineers can use simulation software to analyze the effects of airflow, pressure, and heat on automotive or aircraft materials, and then study the results to improve product design. Similarly, with 64-bit computing, digital content creators (including 3D animators, digital artists, and game developers) can greatly reduce the time it takes to render 3D models digitally. In the areas of scientific computing and high performance computing, Windows XP Professional x64 Edition will help applications such as oil and gas exploration, seismic analysis, computational fluid dynamics, and scientific visualization. Support for very large memory, using common Windows desktops
For customers with 32-bit system memory limitations, Windows XP Professional x64 Edition will be AMD Athlon 64, AMD Opteron, Intel Xeon supporting SM64T and Intel Pentium 4 supporting EM64T As a running platform. The main difference between 32-bit and 64-bit computing based on Windows XP is that the 64 version can use more system memory. Windows XP Professional x64 Edition will initially support up to 128 GB of memory and up to 16 TB of virtual memory. In the future, as hardware functions expand, the supported physical memory will increase accordingly. In-memory data is accessed thousands of times faster on disk drives, which greatly increases the performance of applications developed for use with this larger system memory. Providing a single desktop for technology applications and business applications
Windows XP Professional x64 Edition provides a single desktop for technology applications and business applications, so technology workstation users do not need to maintain PCs for business applications, while at the same time high-end technology The application maintains a separate workstation. Most Windows-compatible 32-bit applications will run "as-is" in the Windows XP Professional x64 Edition subsystem, which is comparable in performance to 32-bit Windows. Workstation users can take advantage of the rich integration features and efficient tools on the Windows platform. Designers can build a model and easily share it with other people in the company: for a finance group, copy it to a Word document, or for a market group, add it to the PowerPoint slide panel. If you only use 32-bit applications and the data set is no more than 2 GB, you will find that 32-bit Windows XP Professional is the best desktop system for your application. Windows XP Professional x64 Edition systems can be added to existing Windows-based networks and managed with 32-bit systems using the same management tools, making IT work easier. The overhead costs of maintaining and managing both systems are reduced. The Best Platform for Next-Generation Applications
Developers with 32-bit Windows skills will be able to create next-generation applications for Windows XP Professional x64 Edition comfortably and efficiently. Developers will find the development environment to be almost identical to the 32-bit Windows development environment; the Microsoft Win64 application programming interface (API) is identical to the Microsoft Win32 API. Existing APIs have been modified as necessary to reflect the accuracy of their operating platform. The result is simplified programming and shortened the learning curve for developers writing 64-bit Windows code, just like writing 32-bit Windows code. The 64-bit Windows development environment supports the same feature set as 32-bit Windows, including UI and programming models, networking, security, graphics, multimedia, directory services, plug-and-play, and tooling. Many of the features have been modified to reflect the computational accuracy of the application's runtime platform. Key Features of Windows XP Professional x64 Edition Compared to 32-bit Windows, one of our obvious feelings is that the amount of memory support has been improved. 32-bit Windows can support up to 4 GB of system memory, and each processor can use up to 2 GB of dedicated memory; on 64-bit Windows, up to 128 GB of physical memory and 16 TB of virtual memory can be used. The remaining details can be found in the following table: 64-bit architecture and 32-bit architecture comparison address space 64-bit Windows 32-bit Windows virtual memory 16 TB 4 GB page file 512 TB 16 TB page buffer pool 128 GB 470 MB non-page Buffer pool 128 GB 256 MB System cache 1 TB 1 GB 32-bit virtual memory space in Windows
Like all other 32-bit Windows, Windows XP Professional is limited to using only 4 GB of virtual memory addressing space. This 4 GB of memory is divided into two parts, 2 GB for user processes and 2 GB for sharing by all processes in the operating system. In some special cases, by using the /3GB boot parameter, you can force all system processes to use only 1 GB of memory and 3 GB of memory for user processes, but this method is also only designed to take advantage of these extra addresses. Space applications, and all programs are limited by the amount of memory available to the operating system. Compatibility with Windows XP Professional x64 Edition
As can be seen from the above, for 64-bit Windows, general computer users do not have to consider it now. For example, if you usually just chat online, watch movies, and write files in Office, the existing 32-bit Windows will be able to meet your needs. For now, one of the biggest disadvantages of 64-bit Windows is compatibility, and the most prominent aspect of compatibility is the drivers for various hardware devices. If you are already an old Windows user, then you must be impressed with it. When installing some hardware under Windows XP, because the operating system does not have the hardware for Windows XP drivers, or hardware development. Provide the appropriate version of the driver, we can also try to use the device under Windows 2000 drivers, if you are lucky, you can also use under Windows XP. However, under 64-bit Windows, the situation is completely different. The 64-bit and 32-bit Windows XP hardware drivers can't be mixed at all, that is, if the developers of the hardware devices you have used have not yet developed 64-bit Windows XP. Drivers, then either the device is not available under 64-bit Windows XP, or the generic driver that comes with the operating system is barely used, but performance and functionality are affected. As for other software programs, there is generally no big problem. In 64-bit Windows XP, only 16-bit applications are completely unusable, and 32-bit applications can continue to be used. However, when installing these applications, be aware that some applications, although not related to hardware, in order to implement some special features of the software, the software will also be loaded into the system when installing the software. Programs cannot be used under 64-bit Windows until the 64-bit version is released. For example, the famous screenshot software SnagIt, which uses the default installation, installs a virtual printer into the system, which can output the document as a graphic format. Because the virtual device is installed, the program does not yet provide a 64-bit version, so it will go wrong when installing with the default option under 64-bit Windows XP, unless we customize the installation option, do not install this virtual printer. Similarly, almost all current virtual drive software and anti-virus software cannot be used under 64-bit Windows XP. Now another type of special user is a high-end gamer. In order to run a large game of current hardware killer level (such as DOOM3, WOW, Half Life 2), such users usually spend a lot of money on hardware investment. So if the other hardware is the same, only the 32-bit processor and 32-bit Windows XP, and the 32-bit and 64-bit Windows XP on the 64-bit processor, the performance of the game will be improved. Problems to upgrade to a 64-bit platform
If you decide to upgrade to a 64-bit platform now, you might want to consider the following issues: Hardware that can basically be used on a 32-bit system can be 64-bit Windows XP Used, but the only exception is the processor and the corresponding motherboard. Currently available Windows XP Professional x64 processors include: AMD Athlon 64, AMD Opteron, Intel Xeon with Intel EM64T, and Intel Pentium 4 with Intel EM64T. Drivers Currently, this is a weakness of 64-bit Windows XP. Please check the website of the hardware equipment you are using to see if they provide drivers for 64-bit Windows XP. If you have already provided them, congratulations, you can take the lead in 64-bit applications. In addition, according to Microsoft's instructions, to run Windows XP Professional x64, the computer's hardware system also needs to meet the following requirements: ? 256MB of memory? 1.5GB of available hard disk space? Super VGA (800x600) or higher resolution video card • CD-ROM or DVD drive? Keyboard and Microsoft mouse or compatible pointer