Watch for 64-bit when Buying a New Computer
Most computer manufacturers now are trying to boast 4+ Gigabytes of memory with super huge hard drives and Dual or Quad Core processors. In the computer world those numbers usually mean everything. Here is the problem. Windows XP and Vista, as most people know them, run on what’s called a 32-bit platform. Most games, software, and hardware drivers are programmed for that platform. The 32-bit platform only supports a total of 4 GB memory. This includes video and processor memory. So, in essence, only about 3.5 GB of total system memory can actually be used or even seen.
Enter 64-bit. Now most programs are not coded for 64-bit Operating Systems yet. But there is a compatibility feature that will allow 32-bit programs to run on 64-bit systems. Here is the tricky thing. Hardware has to have a 64-bit driver to run on a 64-bit operating system. This is why when people unaware of this situation buy a 64-bit computer, they cannot get older hardware to work on it such as printers, scanners, cameras and such.
So the key is to watch for the amount of memory. If it has 4+ GB it is most likely 64-bit.