A friend asked me to help finding a desktop with Win7 32bit. I searched several websites (Dell, HP, Gateway, etc) but could not find any. They are all 64bit. We are talking about a box in the $500 to $600 range. Is 32bit an extinct species?
If your friend is in the market for a new PC I would say to build it yourself that way you get the most computer for your money.
As for 32 Bit and 64 Bit more and more new computers now are coming with 64 Bit operating systems but the issues with legacy drivers and software still exist.
I've heard this too, about Windows 8 that will be released only in x64. But then again, I don't put alot of weight into rumors, because the same was said about Windows 7. Untill we can get some concrete evidence (i.e. directly from Microsoft), that is all it will remain: a rumor.
Nevertheless, x64 is the future, and x86 architecture is a dying breed. I've been using x64 since the launch of Vista, and I've never looked back.
Thanks for all the answers. I would build one myself too, but the friend is a little old lady that lives far away - so building is not an option. Problem with 64bit is that there are still a lot of driver problems and many programs do not work. That will probably be ironed out in a couple of years, but for right now I see most of the people that have problems with Win7 are on 64bit. Example: A couple of days ago one member could not even burn a recovery disk of Macrium on 64bit. Maybe that would work with compatibility mode. But I have not yet played around with that because I have 32bit Win7.
Most newer PC's are indeed coming with 64 bit Windows 7...because 4GB of RAM has become the standard and to fully utilize it..you have to run 64-bit.
I think today, most software is working pretty well...but driver support is certainly going to be an issue for a person with lots of peripherals. Windows 7 is the first time that I have been willing to run 64-bit at home...up to this point, the cons outweighed the pros. Now, however I feel that it's about even.
But what are the real advantages of 64bit if you have like me 3GB of RAM. Some people say it's faster, but is that really true. On my system in Germany I have 4GB of RAM (8GB possible). There I am debating a 64bit version for when I am back in May. But I am still trying to find a real reason to convince myself that this is a good move.
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