Updated: July 11, 2020 (December 19, 2005)

64-Bit Software and Processor Roadmap

Michael analyzed and wrote about Microsoft's operating systems, including the Windows client OS, as well as compliance and governance. Michael... more

Microsoft is starting on an aggressive path toward releasing 64-bit editions of key Windows Server System Software. Support for 64-bit processors benefits memory-intensive applications, such as online analytical processing (OLAP) systems, and compute-intensive workstation applications, such as computer-aided design. Because the x64 architecture is more popular with customers, only Windows Server and SQL Server will support the Itanium processors. All other 64-bit support will be for the x64 processorsAMD64 Athlon and Opteron 64-bit processor families and Intel’s Extended Memory 64 (EM64T) family of processors.

Windows Vista client will be available in 32- and x64-bit editions for the foreseeable future. Itanium support will not be provided.

Windows Server will be available in 32-bit editions through Longhorn Server R2, expected sometime in 2009. Itanium support will be available as long as Itanium is viable in the marketplace.

Windows Compute Cluster edition, which never shipped as a 32-bit edition, will only be available as an x64 release.

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