Vista dilemma

I am getting a new PC. The 64 bit OEM version of Home Premium is only $10 more, and I will have the hardware to run it.
However, there are many that warn against the 64 bit version, and the last thing I would want is to find out that some hardware does not work, or that there are problems with our home network. I am also worried about not being able to run 16 bit programs and bits and pieces without proper signatures. Apparently the 64 bit version rejects these.

The best alternative would be to buy the 64 bit version, but install and run it as 32 bit untill such time when I progressively replace hardware, the other PC's etc.

Is this possible? I have heard that it can be run as 32 bits, but is this across the system, or is it on application by application basis.

Hi Josef,

Welcome to Vista Forums.

16 bit programs are not supported at all in Vista. You can run 32 bit and 64 bit programs at the same time in the 64 bit version of Vista, but you must have 64 bit driver versions for all of your devices. 32 bit drivers will not work in the 64 bit Vista.

For more information on the 64 bit Vista, you might give this a read. It's pretty interesting.

64-bit: More than just the RAM

Hope this helps,
Shawn

Thanks for the link, Shawn. I've read the article and the comments.

Since I am not a PC enthusiast, I think I will go for the 32 oem version. I will have the 64 bit infrastructure, so if 64 bit computing gets up to speed before I replace the new PC, I will upgrade the OS.

The thing I was expecting - being able to switch from 32 to 64 and back apparently only comes with retail versions of Vista, not with oem.

Joe

Joe,

You can switch back and forth with the 32 bit and 64 bit OEM and Retail Vista. They both use the 32 bit product key number. It's just that you can only have one of them installed at one time.

I'd like to add: While the product key is valid for both, you cannot "Upgrade" from 32 to 64 bit Vista. You must do a clean install.

That would be OK, Scotteq. It is very unlikely that within the lifetime of my new PC (~5 years) 64bits will be essential for doing Photoshop, but if it was, I would have it. Being retired, doing a clean install is not a big pain. So I will buy the 64 bit version.

Joe

If you don't know if you need 64 bit, you can probably get away with 32 bit. No matter what version you buy, you can install 64 bit later on. Even if you only get a 32 bit install disk, you can order a 64 bit disk directly from Microsoft for $10.00. I had 32 bit only DVD and got the 64 bit disk from Microsoft.

I went 64 bit so I could use 8Gb of RAM.

Paul

I highly recommend 64-bit Vista. My homebuilt system is faster and more stable than my Dell XP ever was. I hope i haven't just jinxed myself.

All of the programs i used on Xp work great my Vista 64 surprisingly even including my old $5 Scrabble game.