64-Bit Traffic Jam

摘要

In hardware vendors' marketing materials, you won't find much more than buzzwords a-buzzin' over 64-bit technology. Vendors' lack of enthusiasm has buyers shrugging. Do we need 64 bits to run 32-bit operating systems and applications? Let's put it this way: Many commercial developers are prioritizing 64-bit ports of their Windows and Mac OS X applications just below vacuuming out their power supplies. You can't blame them. It's hard to get excited about new technology that doesn't seem to excite even those who make it. Among the offerings from first-tier systems makers, the most mainstream of the mainstream 64-bit boxes is the $1,300 iMac C5. But go to the page that Apple dedicates to the machine and look for the phrase "64-bit" (infoworld.com/2514). I found it exactly once: It's "ready to run modern 64-bit applications." Ready? Modern? They're both waffle words.