Do 64-bit operating systems support 32-bit software?

* A 64-bit computer can run a 64-bit operating system, naturally

* A 64-bit computer with a 64-bit OS can run 64-bit programs

* A 64-bit computer can also run a 32-bit OS

* With either a 32-bit or a 64-bit OS, a 64-bit computer can run almost all 32-bit programs

* A 64-bit computer with a 64-bit OS cannot run old 16-bit programs

You will probably find the occasional 32-bit program that has a compatibility problem with 64-bit Windows. Often you can get around this problem by running the application in a 32-bit OS inside of Microsoft Virtual PC.

Much more commonly, though, you'll find that older printers and other peripherals don't have 64-bit drivers. It really doesn't pay for the printer vendor to spend time and money creating a 64-bit driver for a model they're no longer selling. A virtual PC won't help you here. If there's no 64-bit driver you just can't use that peripheral with a 64-bit operating system.

Intel Virtualization Technology (VT)

Intel Virtualization Technology (VT)

Virtualization technology is nothing new. There is some software on the market that enables virtualization and probably VMware is the most famous one. With this technique, a single CPU can act if it were several CPUs running in parallel,

You may confuse virtualization with multitasking or even with HyperThreading. On multitasking, there is a single operating system and several programs running in parallel. On virtualization, you can have several operating systems running in parallel, each one with several programs running. Each operating system runs on a “virtual CPU” or “virtual machine”. And HyperThreading simulates two CPUs were there is just one physical CPU for balancing performance using SMP (Symmetric Multi Processing), and these two CPUs cannot be used separately.



Benefits of VT

From Intel datasheet: “Intel Virtualization Technology requires a computer system with a processor, chipset, BIOS, Virtual Machine Monitor (VMM) and for some uses, certain platform software enabled for it. Functionality, performance or other benefit will vary depending on hardware and software configurations. Intel Virtualization Technology-enabled BIOS and VMM applications are currently in development.”

So far, VMware Workstation 5 (which costs between USD 189.00 and USD 199.00) and VMware Player (which is free but you need to have virtual machines images created with Workstation or other software ready; on http://www.vmware.com/vmtn/vm/ you can find a lot of pre-build virtual machines for several different operating systems) support Intel’s Virtualization Technology.

It is not clear to us if Intel will release any VMM software on its own or if they will just wait for other vendor to change their virtualization software to support VT.

As for the BIOS, the solution is to wait for motherboard manufacturers to release VT-enabled BIOS (or at least certify that your current motherboard BIOS works fine with VT).

On the good side VT promises to have a better performance than VMWare, but we will have to wait until VT VMM software reaches the market to check if this is really true or it is just Intel propaganda.

Best Semiconductor Company till date

Hi friends, as you know semiconductors have revolutionized our life. But you which is the best semiconductor company till date and what is its origin. Share your knowledge about semiconductor companies here.............

List of semiconductor comapnies

Intel Corporation
Samsung Electronics
Toshiba Semiconductors
Texas Instruments
STMicroelectronics
Renesas Technology
Sony
Qualcomm
Hynix
Infineon Technologies
NEC Semiconductors
AMD
Freescale Semiconductor
Broadcom
Panasonic Corporation
Micron Technology
NXP
Sharp Electronics
Elpida Memory
Rohm
NVIDIA
Marvell Technology Group
MediaTek
Fujitsu Microelectronics
Analog Devices

Why we have to remember Fairchild semiconductor

because both Intel and AMD are founded by employees who worked for Fairchild Semiconductor...

Intel was founded in 1968 by Gordon E. Moore (a chemist and physicist) and Robert Noyce (a physicist and co-inventor of the integrated circuit) when they left Fairchild Semiconductor. A number of other Fairchild employees also went on to participate in other Silicon Valley companies. Intel's third employee was Andy Grove,[8] a chemical engineer, who ran the company through much of the 1980s and the high-growth 1990s.


Advanced Micro Devices(AMD) was founded on May 1, 1969, by a group of former executives from Fairchild Semiconductor, including Jerry Sanders III, Ed Turney, John Carey, Sven Simonsen, Jack Gifford and three members from Gifford's team, Frank Botte, Jim Giles, and Larry Stenger.

Thanks
bsgoldy

bsgoldy

Hi everyone.


I am B Singh. People know me from my tech name 'bsgoldy'.

I love computers, their architecture, hardware, programming etc.

I love people asking me about new technologies..

So friends, here is your platform to discuss with me and other experts, ur views and comments.

Thanks
bsgoldy