Microsoft ships Windows x64 operating systems
After years of delays, Microsoft Corp. on Monday started selling new flavors of the Windows operating system that can address vastly more memory than previous versions yet can still run software designed for older computers.
Windows XP Professional x64 Edition and Windows Server 2003 x64 Editions operate on systems running 64-bit microprocessors from Advanced Micro Devices Inc. and Intel Corp. The new software costs the same as their 32-bit counterparts.
The biggest gain will be seen by businesses and PC users who are running 64-bit systems with more than 4 gigabytes of memory, which is the upper limit of 32-bit processors. Today, most PCs come with 256 megabytes to 512 megabytes of random access memory, or RAM.
Business users are likely to be the biggest buyers at first, as programs already exist for 64-bit systems. Ultimately, chip makers and Microsoft believe consumer-oriented programs such as video editors and games will become widely available.
