64 bit propaganda

[jack baron]

Hello,
 as a long time linux user I have probably hopped across every major
distribution of linux out there.
 Recently I was tired of the 32 bit distros and thought I would try a 64 bit distro.
Mepis-7 was my first choice and it is a fine distro. Flash-9, java and nvidia all OK.
Then Debian Lenny which was and fast, and had a huge repository of software
 but hard to get things like  nvidia drvers and flash-9 working.
 
 Finally I thought I would try vector again as VL-64 was announced on distrowatch.
What a great surprise! Not only is this by far the most stable and fastest(especially in reboot)
distro but also has working flash-9 , java and nvidia. Also compiz gave me nice semitransparent windows easily.
 
 So what is so great about 64 bit linux? All I can say is you don't need more than 4GB ram to see the advantages:
(1) faster less laggy desktop response..this is subjective and hard to quantify but many others say the same
(2) Java is more stable.........I regularly use jin and decaf to play chess online and they ALWAYS crash eventually
        on 32 bit linux(even on windows this has happened) (due to poor sound handling in java apis i think)
       On 64 bit linux this has yet to happen after 3 months useage.
(3) Some annoying bugs like poor sound with some SDL games are gone(lbreakout2 has no static when brick  burst)
(4) It is clearly the wave the future...many distros are hard at work producing 64 bit version and if you upgrade to more than 4GB ram
       it will be the natural choice

 My one wish is that more packages get built for it..Gnome or KDE. would be really nice.
All-in-all a super distro and keep up the good work.

[lagagnon]

..many distros are hard at work producing 64 bit version and if you upgrade to more than 4GB ram
       it will be the natural choice

4 GB of RAM???!!!. Please do tell me how the h*** anyone doing normal computing work will ever, ever use 4GB of RAM?
I have 1 GB here and have never, ever used my swap, and I can keep the machine fairly busy....

[The Headacher]

video editing and games come to mind.

[jack baron]

Yes video editing, games also natural language processing and large databases
for AI and other things though not normal now , will probably be more
normal in 5 years Especially as microsoft windows versions grow more and more hungry with every
release 

   I fear my main point was lost though; namely, that 64 bit is superior in everything
(except available software) even on a system like yours with 1GB.

[tomh38]

I have a friend named Hal and another named Mike and they both use a lot more than 4 GB of RAM.

Okay, the first one is obvious:



Tell me the novel for the second one and I'll buy you the beverage of your choice.

[kidd]

I know the novel's title, but I cheated (google+wikipedia should be not allowed in your quizes).  Anyway, I've found out I've already red a novel from the same author (Door into summer).

I don't deserve the award, so quiz goes on....

[tomh38]

kidd ... I really think you'd like the book I gave the hint about.  It's very dated, but still one of the best science fiction novels ever written.  There's been talk of a movie for years, but I don't know if it will ever happen.

Tom

[jack baron]

Yes, Heinlein was way cool but unfortunately Hollywood would
just muck up any movie version of it.
 I am very cynical about movies these days.

[exeterdad]

I've been following this thread for a few days and it just occurred to me that I haven't said hello.

Sooo..... Hello and Welcome to VL!

Hang in there, more will be available for VL64 with time.  Not everyone has 64bit computers so the pool of developers and packagers is a bit thin at this time.  But even so... there's good people on the task, it'll get there.

[tomh38]

Uh-oh ...

jack baron, I forgot to say hello also!

So ... hello and welcome to VL!  I hope you find it as satisfying an experience as I have.

P.S.  You're right about movies ... if they did to TMIAHM what they did to Starship Troopers, I'd probably go to the garage, run a hose from the exhaust pipe to one of the windows ... y'know.