Understood, but to change to 64bit because some people have and prefer it, does not mean that all want to or should. Some organisations have 32 bit bespoke software running and upgrading to 64bit would incur large cost for software re-writes let alone upgrading the hardware. As far as I can see, there is not much to be gained by the average family joe who doesn't need the power and amounts of RAM that a 64 bit windows sytem would give them the ability to run.

This is why you have virtualisation. To easy the pain of transition until such time you are ready to go fully 64-bit when the day arrives when 32-bit is no longer fully supported.

Then there are those of us who tried to get x64 at time of purchase and were told by Dell that 7 Pro was only available in x86. To get x64 I would have had to go to Ultimate and I didn't want to spend the extra money This was back in Dec 09.

Business will probably still be using 32 bit systems for many years to come, but consumers will most likely make the switch sooner. I'm already running my computer with Win 7 Pro 64 bit all 64 bit drivers, 64 bit Firefox, 64 bit flash player and more.

Recently added Win7 Professional 64 to a machine in my home network. Just added XP Mode. So far I see improvement or equal to XP Pro on the same machine. Sure, it has been a learning experience, but I kinda' think that is fun. The posts above reminded me of this quote:
“640K ought to be enough for anybody.” This quotation is mis-attributed to Bill Gates.

@GranPaSmurf, We aren't saying the old “640K ought to be enough for anybody.” What we are saying is that, unless you need the extra RAM for graphics intensive design work or high end gaming ( which can be taken care of by a high end graphics card anyway), there are sufficient reasons why it is not necessarily a good move to go 64bit " just because we can". Good to hear you enjoyed the experience of upgrading but I wouldn't do it just to be able to say "I can run XP Pro" through a virtual machine. After all I can run most software on my 32 bit system or use a compatability mode if I run into difficulty.

Of course, you are absolutely correct.
As for me it's a bit more like Sir. Edmund Hillary climbing Everest, "because it's there." I don't game, but I do dabble in a bit of graphics, build a few custom websites & frequently edit videos. So this is my workhorse machine that I try to keep the playtime stuff off. Win7 64 Professional seemed like a good move at the time, & I am still satisfied with the decision. I don't mind running a few of my older programs in XP Mode.
Besides, I kinda' enjoy being the antithesis of the old guy who can't spell IBM. I kinda' enjoy it when my co-workers and my grandkids, even the college aged ones, come to me for computer help and/or repair.