Windows 7 64 bit

64 bit operating systems have been about for several years now and the hardware probably even longer. In the 1980s, it was a very slow move from 8 bit to 16 bit, and then from 16 bit to 32 bit. At last, with Windows 7, 64 bit operating systems are now becoming common, even on laptops, and the key selling point is that the once enourmous 4GB memory limit is now lifted. At a 1980 Intel seminar, it was suggested that 1MB of RAM was all one would ever need! In the course of my programming I now sometimes request 200MB buffers to help with sorting.

Although the operating system is 64 bit, the majority of applications are still 32 bit. The biggest nightmare has been critical support for drivers and other base level drive type programs. I have have been using Windows 7-64 since November 2009 and it is still a pain that the 64 bit Windows Explorer is not supported by Adobe Flash. I also have a nice standard HP printer that does not have a 64 bit driver, and has be used with a fiddle to make it look like a different PCL printer. For CnW Recovery software, support for the hardware dongle has only just been launched.

I like Windows 7, partly because it is on a fast Quad core PC, with 6GB or RAM, and much better than Vista. Whether the 64 bit apsect is worth anything, I am not sure, but I am convinced that this is the way forward., I just wish device drivers for old hardware kept pace.

For recovery purposes, I am looking forward to exploring the multi-tasking features that Visual Studio 2010 has. Disks are getting bigger and bigger, speed is becoming more critical.

A fun tip, you may not be aware of on Windows 7 is the 'Window Key and Tab'. Try it, it is more fun that Alt Tab.