Quote: Original post by SiCrane
When I moved to Vista 64, I only had problems with two programs with 64-bit compatability and one of those was a program that I wrote. Both programs had the same problem: they were .NET programs with the target platform of "Any CPU" but P/Invoked a 32-bit DLL. When run on a 64-bit platform this caused the programs to die in strange ways. When they were rebuilt targeting specifically the x86 platform the problems went away.

You can actually use a tool that comes with the .Net platform to change a prebuilt executable to use WoW, thus negating the need for rebuilding. That being said, it's command line and so not very user friendly.

Pretty much any laptop you get today is going to be 64bit capable. The default operating system installed may only be 32 bit, but that doesn't prevent you from changing that. One of the first things I would tend to recommend you do when you first get your laptop is simply format it and install a new OS. This cleans up a lot of the crap installed by the vendor, and allows you to eliminate their utility partitions that just waste space.

The great thing is, windows vista (and 7) use bit-neutral keys. So you can use x64 OEM with the key that came with your laptop (if you don't have an edition available).

Thanks for the links for the other PC Manufacturers. I only priced a Dell because it was the only name I knew that I could customize to my specs. The big box stores don't have anything decent and I want something high end that doesn't ship with a home version of windows.

I don't really want to spend $5000 on a laptop, but I also want to get something comparable to my desktop PC which is a high end quad core i7 fully loaded.

John

Quote: Original post by borngamer
I don't really want to spend $5000 on a laptop, but I also want to get something comparable to my desktop PC which is a high end quad core i7 fully loaded.

Are you sure you want to do that, though? If you get a high-end notebook, you're going to be seriously sacrificing portability (it's going to be really heavy) and then what's the point? For instance, the ASUS W90 weighs in at a whopping seven kilograms! That's not the sort of thing you'll want to take on the train...

I suggest keeping "hardcore" in your desktop and getting something a bit more portable for a notebook. 2.5kg to 3kg is more reasonable and you're still going to get something pretty decent in terms of performance. My HP is 2.6kg and it's got a dual core CPU, 4GB of RAM and GeForce 9600M GT graphics card. It's not top-of-the-line, but it runs all of my games.

If you were only getting a notebook (say, because you live in a dorm and you don't have room for a desktop) then it might be a different story.

I've heard anecdotes saying that overclockers can overclock higher if they only use 32-bits. I guess more silicon is active in 64-bit mode? If this is true, it might also apply to power consumption.

If you're playing games on it most of them time then this probably doesn't matter much.

I use my laptop when I travel for work. I spend every other week working from my home office in Canada and alternating weeks in California.

I want something high powered mainly for entertainment in the evenings when I'm in my hotel room. I'll be using the same machine at the office here in California as well.

I never run the machine on battery or sitting on my knee. It's always on a desk when in use.

John

Quote: Original post by borngamerIt's much harder for me to buy expensive equipment anymore since my wife took over bookkeeping for our business. She's questioning everything now. If she asks why I need a $5000 laptop vs. a $2500 one, I may be having a hard time justifying it. She doesn't like the "Because I want it" line.

Quote: I use my laptop when I travel for work. I spend every other week working from my home office in Canada and alternating weeks in California.

"Because you will know I won't be cheating on you while I am away for work".