It's still early for the x64 platform ans some programs are hard to find, others impossible to find.
Not on Linux, only on Windows, so, yes it is 32bit.
Waterfox is only for Windows x64 (Vista or higher => Works in XP x64 if you extract the installer)
I kind of prefer 64 bit ones
Me too.
Also, is 64 bit iTunes better?
There is NO 64bit iTunes for Windows yet. (Give me a link if i'm wrong)
Only the installer is x64 but iTunes is 32bit and it installs in Prog Files (x86) and are all 32 bit programs and services there. Too bad.
I think only for Mac there is a real x64 version but i don't have a Mac to confirm.
Is my CPU able to benefit from 64 bit softwares?
Why would I use x64 Windows in the first place? Only For a RAM increase?
x64 is an extension of x86, they are like family. Processor uses EMT64 instruction set in addition.
In short it can calculate with bigger numbers, so x64 programs are better here.
Don't forget that most of 32bit programs can address 2 - 4 GB of ram maximum while x64 programs can go beyond that size.
I got plenty of RAM because I needed to run virtual PCs
I'm in the same situation.
Also programs like Photoshop and After Effects that are x64, use a lot of ram when working on high resolution images and they benefit form the large address space.
Talking about Virtual PC's:
- MS Virtual PC is 32bit.
- MS Hyper-V found in Windows 8 is pure 64bit. (you also need VT-x for this one)
- VirtualBox is pure 64bit for Windows.
- VMware Player / Workstation still uses 32bit gui and some services, but the hypervisor (doing all the work) is 64bit, so you can consider VMware a hybrid x86/64 but is the x64 doing the hard work so is a very good program in my opinion.
- Parallels Workstation is I think like VMware, a hybrid program.
There are still some programs out there that don't have a 64bit version (yet) for example Google Chrome and other stuff.
I need a NormalMap plugin for the GIMP x64 but it exists in 32bit only on Windows (you gotta build this yourself!).
Running DOS programs on x64 like a boss is by using DOSBox x64 version. Was hard to find but it was worth it.
That's how I see the story