 |
 | Home | Contact Us | FAQ | Search & Site Map | Link to Us |
 | Sign In | Join | Other 45 Sites in Network |
Windows Forum / Windows Vista / General Topics / May 200832-bit and 64-bit distinctions with Vista Home Basic
Hello All, I am new to this Community. I have a question for you, and hope that someone will know the answer. I apologize if I am posting this in the wrong place here. Please let me know if I need to post it elsewhere within this community. I am confused. I recently purchased a brand new Toshiba Satellite laptop (from a very well known retail vendor). I have Windows Vista Basic running on it. For reasons I won't go into right now (but perhaps in a later post after this), you might say I was forced into doing a little research on my laptop in order to determine whether it is a 32 or 64 bit operating system. Well I found out that my version of Windows Vista Home Basic is 32-bit. However, I am also aware that it is available in a 64-bit version. I also found out that there is such as thing as Windows Vista Starter Edition, which supposedly is the ONLY version of Vista which is NOT 64 bit. If this is true, then why does my System Information tell me that I am running a 32 bit version of Vista Home Basic edition? I do not understand this. Let me clarify something very quickly here. I am a Computer Networking major at the present time. I do not need someone to speak to me in terms which only someone who doesn't know who to turn on a computer would understand. Please give me a little credit along these lines when you respond to my question. Lastly, let me also clarify one last thing (hopefully). If there is such as thing as a 64 bit version of Vista Home Basic, then why does my laptop only have the 32 bit version? Is this because I have the "starter" edition, and in order for me to get the better one I would need to actually PAY to upgrade? But why in the world would I need to actually have to PAY in oder to get nothing more than yet a DIFFERENT edition of the exact same OS that I am already running on this laptop of mine? To me, either Windows or Toshiba would have made this a whole lot easier to understand if they would simply have made a DISTINCTION between Vista Starter edition and Vista Home Basic. If anyone knows what I am talking about, please offer any help that you can. Thanks! >Hello All, > [quoted text clipped - 13 lines] >my System Information tell me that I am running a 32 bit version of Vista >Home Basic edition? I do not understand this. Starter edition is not for "developed" countries. It is a special edition for dumbed-down computers. Your system is telling you that your edition of Home Basic is 32-bit because it is. Simple. >Let me clarify something very quickly here. I am a Computer Networking major >at the present time. I do not need someone to speak to me in terms which only [quoted text clipped - 4 lines] >thing as a 64 bit version of Vista Home Basic, then why does my laptop only >have the 32 bit version? Because that's the configuration that you purchased. Simple. > >Hello All, > > [quoted text clipped - 34 lines] > > OK. But according to this "logic", since when did the USA become an underdeveloped country? >> >Hello All, >> > [quoted text clipped - 34 lines] >> > OK. But according to this "logic", since when did the USA become an underdeveloped country? Can't you read? Starter Edition is NOT for "developed" countries. > >> >Hello All, > >> > [quoted text clipped - 36 lines] > > Can't you read? Starter Edition is NOT for "developed" countries The problem here has absolutely nothing to do with my ability to read. But I am beginning to seriously wonder if it might be due to the fact that you neither know how to read nor comprehend. So, I will pose my question to you one more time, and perhaps this time you will see some ray of light. Since when did the USA become an underdeveloped country? I didn't purchase my laptop in Mozambique. I purchased it in the USA. Therefore, if Starter Edition was created for underdeveloped nations, then I should NOT have acquired that edition when I purchased a laptop in the United States of American. Period. You do not get both versions 32 and 64 bit versions. Vista Home Basic 32 bit is commonly installed on laptops. NOT 64 bit. Is this difficult to fathom? > You do not get both versions 32 and 64 bit versions. Vista Home Basic 32 > bit is commonly installed on laptops. NOT 64 bit. Is this difficult to > fathom? > > No, not at all. Thanks for clearing it up. The bottom line obviously is that you have to upgrade to get the good stuff, the better version. Thanks for clarifying this. All pre-installed OEM versions of vista come in 32bit, unless YOU specifially ask for 64bit. If you have a Retail version of 32bit, you can get 64bit disk from MS for cost of shipping. OEM disks do not have this option. Buy an OEM 64bit or Retail 64bit copy to change. And you can NOT upgrade 32 2 64. Has to be a clean install..  SignatureMick Murphy - Qld - Australia > > You do not get both versions 32 and 64 bit versions. Vista Home Basic 32 > > bit is commonly installed on laptops. NOT 64 bit. Is this difficult to [quoted text clipped - 3 lines] > > Thanks for clarifying this. >> Can't you read? Starter Edition is NOT for "developed" countries > [quoted text clipped - 8 lines] >should NOT have acquired that edition when I purchased a laptop in the United >States of American. Period. 32-bit is NOT "Starter Edition". YOU are the one with the reading/comprehension problem. > >> Can't you read? Starter Edition is NOT for "developed" countries > > [quoted text clipped - 12 lines] > > YOU are the one with the reading/comprehension problem. I want you to read the following: 64-bit Editions of Windows Vista "The 64-bit editions of Windows Vista—available for all editions of Windows Vista except Starter—deliver premier performance, reliability, and security, providing you access to the next generation of PC innovations..." And here is the URL if you want to go see it for yourself: https://www.microsoft.com/windows/products/windowsvista/editions/64bit.mspx In light of this, how on earth can you possibly contend that "32 bit is NOT starter..."??????? >> >> Can't you read? Starter Edition is NOT for "developed" countries >> > [quoted text clipped - 27 lines] >In light of this, how on earth can you possibly contend that "32 bit is NOT >starter..."??????? You are clearly a moron. > >> Can't you read? Starter Edition is NOT for "developed" countries > > [quoted text clipped - 12 lines] > > YOU are the one with the reading/comprehension problem. You know what, I believe I have figured out the answer to my question based on what these other individuals have posted here as responses. Clearly the computer (and specifically laptop) companies are putting an inferior version of Vista Home Basic in computers that are being sold in retail outlets. In order to get the better version one must purchase that version of Vista, and do a clean install. So now that I have my answer from those others who have responded, I feel that any further discussion would be fruitless here. So I will now bring it to a close. >You know what, I believe I have figured out the answer to my question based >on what these other individuals have posted here as responses. Clearly the >computer (and specifically laptop) companies are putting an inferior version >of Vista Home Basic in computers that are being sold in retail outlets. Clearly you are a moron. Not all computers are 64-bit capable, thus the 32-bit version that is available in ALL versions. There are significant issues with the 64-bit versions, among which are device and program compatibility. The 32- bit version is NOT "inferior". In many cases it is the only product that will work. Louis126, let me have a go at explaining it..... Vista is available in several different versions - Home Basic, Home Premium, Ultimate, etc. Each of these versions is produced in 32-bit and 64-bit. 64-bit Vista is NOT superior to 32-bit, except in one particular way: 64-bit Vista will access more than 4G of RAM, whereas 32-bit Vista is limited to 4G (actually slightly less). The disadvantages of 64-bit Vista are: 1/ lots of hardware doesn't have 64-bit drivers so won't work with it; 2/ it runs the majority of present-day applications slightly slower (although not noticeably). Most people choose 32-bit Vista because the advantages - excellent hardware compatibility - outweigh the disadvantages (limited to 4G of RAM). It is rare to require more than 4G. Virtually every computer that comes with Vista pre-installed has the 32-bit version. This is because the 32-bit version is compatible with virtually all modern hardware, whereas the 64-bit version isn't (due to the lack of drivers). Microsoft also makes a special version of Vista for developing countries, know as Vista Starter Edition. It is the only version of Vista which is not available in 64-bit. It is 32-bit only. This is irrelevant, though - you can't buy Starter Edition in America. You've got Vista Home Basic on your laptop, in the 32-bit version. This is entirely correct and normal, and not in any way related to Vista Starter Edition. In fact, the vast majority of Vista users are running 32-bit, whether they've got Home Basic, Home Premium or even Ultimate. I hope this helps. Ask if you need further clarification. SteveT > Louis126, let me have a go at explaining it..... > [quoted text clipped - 41 lines] > > Hello SteveT, Thank you SO much for your post. You have helped me understand these distinctions IMMENSELY. I only wish the first one had explained it like you did. I believe that as a result of those first few posts (responses) I was actually being made to believe that my edition of 32 bit Hom Basic was made to be explicitly INFERIOR to everyone else's laptop or PC. Not only have you addressed this misconception, you have dispelled and obliterated it completely. Thank you again so very much. And if I ever need further assistance or clarification I will be sure to call on you next time. Take care. Louis126 Happy to help. :-) SteveT >You know what, I believe I have figured out the answer to my question based >on what these other individuals have posted here as responses. Clearly the >computer (and specifically laptop) companies are putting an inferior version >of Vista Home Basic in computers that are being sold in retail outlets. No, the 32-bit versions are not inferior to the 64-bit versions. Right now there is quite a lot of hardware (printers, scanners, more exotic things) for which there are no 64-bit drivers. You *cannot* run these things in the 64-bit versions of Vista. Your laptop manufacturer made sure that you had maximum ability to use many peripheral devices with your machine by installing the 32-bit OS. Also, the 64-bit OS will not run 16-bit programs, which probably wouldn't have bothered you anyway. As another poster told you, "32-bit" is not synonymous with "starter version". Starter version is an *extremely* stripped down version that's not even available in the US. Your Home Basic edition is pretty stripped down itself (it also costs substantially less than any other Vista edition), but nothing like Starter Edition. SignatureTim Slattery MS MVP(Shell/User) Slattery_T@bls.gov http://members.cox.net/slatteryt > I didn't purchase my laptop in Mozambique. I purchased it in the USA. > Therefore, if Starter Edition was created for underdeveloped nations, > then I should NOT have acquired that edition when I purchased a > laptop in the United States of American. Period. Well true, but then you said you have Vista Home Basic installed, which *isn't* starter edition. Either you've got the two mixed up, or there's a long and sad portion of this story that you haven't got around to mentioning. X64 Is The Best (If You Can Get It 2 Work With Your System), Just FYI. > Hello All, > [quoted text clipped - 32 lines] > > Thanks! Hi, Hopefully this will help: There are six versions of Vista available: Starter, Home Basic, Home Premium, Business, Ultimate, and Enterprise. Starter edition is only available in undeveloped nations, Enterprise is only available to volume license customers. There is also an "N" version of each available (except Starter) in certain countries that require Vista be sold without the media player and related multimedia bits preinstalled. All of them come in a 32-bit (x86) version, and this is the version most commonly sold with preinstalled systems in any nation. This being due to driver availability and compatibility with the vast majority of hardware and software currently on the market. What you have is the 32-bit version of Home Basic preinstalled. Except for Starter, each of them is also available in 64-bit (x64), but this version is generally only supplied by request of the purchaser. While the system hardware being purchased may be x64 capable, manufacturers do not generally use this version for mass production for the reasons stated above. In addition, your license to use Vista Home Basic allows for either 32 or 64 bit to be installed and used to run the computer, but you'd have to contact the manufacturer for the alternate media should you choose to switch. There is no upgrade procedure, it requires a clean installation. SignatureBest of Luck, Rick Rogers, aka "Nutcase" - Microsoft MVP http://mvp.support.microsoft.com/ Windows help - www.rickrogers.org My thoughts http://rick-mvp.blogspot.com > Hello All, > [quoted text clipped - 51 lines] > > Thanks! Steve Thackery gave a good explanation of the versions below, but I would like to mention that depending on the vendor, you may still be ale to get the 64-bit disk from them directly and use the same key you have affixed to your system. > Hello All, > [quoted text clipped - 32 lines] > > Thanks! |
Reply to this Message |
 Sign In
 Join
 My Latest Posts My Monitored Threads My Blog My Photo Gallery My Profile My Homepage Start New Thread Enable EMail Alerts Rate this Thread
|
©2008 Advenet LLC Privacy Policy - Terms of Use
This website includes both content owned or controlled by Advenet as well as content owned or controlled by third parties.