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dumb question i know - but is my mbp x64, x86..etc :(

charlestrippy

charlestrippy

macrumors 6502
Original poster
May 29, 2006
386
0
Tampa, Florida
so i'm curious - i want to get vista (getting from my friend) and i'd like to know what my mbp can handle...
its the MBP c2d 2.33 ghz, 2gb ram - but im not sure how to know if it's x86, 84 or whatever...

thanks!

sorry for the dumb question!
 
I believe the Core 2 Duo is part of the eight generation of the x86 architecture.

But about the getting it from a friend part, just buy the damn thing if you want it.
 
You will be able to run Vista on your computer, but getting it from a friend is illegal if he has it installed on his computer also.
 
grapes911 said:
I believe the Core 2 Duo is part of the eight generation of the x86 architecture.

But about the getting it from a friend part, just buy the damn thing if you want it.
Click to expand...

i am buying it - lol, i'm buying it from him - he got two copies (picked it up for me) so i'm getting it from him. lol not pirating it. haha so quick to judge i just want to make sure he bought me the right one - he got the x86 version i think - so i think that's right?
 
charlestrippy said:
so i'm curious - i want to get vista (getting from my friend) and i'd like to know what my mbp can handle...
its the MBP c2d 2.33 ghz, 2gb ram - but im not sure how to know if it's x86, 84 or whatever...

thanks!

sorry for the dumb question!
Click to expand...

charlestrippy said:
i am buying it - lol, i'm buying it from him - he got two copies (picked it up for me) so i'm getting it from him. lol not pirating it. haha so quick to judge i just want to make sure he bought me the right one - he got the x86 version i think - so i think that's right?
Click to expand...

It's a bit odd the way you put it at first, so it's no wonder people would think that you're not buying it.
 
bousozoku said:
It's a bit odd the way you put it at first, so it's no wonder people would think that you're not buying it.
Click to expand...



okay okay,
to clarify - i'm not pirating the copy. i am buying it - I would justl ike know to WHICH to get - he got somethign called x86 ultimate so i want to make sure it's right- is it?
 
I believe that Parallels only supports the x86 version. I don't know about VMware, and Boot Camp only supports XP (and again, only x86).
 
Considering Windows is only made for PC's using x86 processors you'll be good.

Sounds to me like the OP is confusing microprocessor architecture (x86) with computer architecture (32bit vs. 64bit).
 
bousozoku said:
It's a bit odd the way you put it at first, so it's no wonder people would think that you're not buying it.
Click to expand...

This is not only targetted to you, but why does anybody care how he gets Vista? It's not like we're in some 1984-like or fascist society where if you don't rat on your neighbors you'll get busted when they do. I'll be honest, I'd probly try my friends copy first to see if it worked before buying Vista myself if I actually had any desire to do so (which I don't but that's besides the point lol).
 
f1400 said:
This is not only targetted to you, but why does anybody care how he gets Vista? It's not like we're in some 1984-like or fascist society where if you don't rat on your neighbors you'll get busted when they do. I'll be honest, I'd probly try my friends copy first to see if it worked before buying Vista myself if I actually had any desire to do so (which I don't but that's besides the point lol).
Click to expand...

I agree with trying something, as long as there is a trial version but getting something illegally just isn't right. There are so many ways to do things the right way.

Besides, doing software development, I don't appreciate when someone pirates any of the software I've done. (No, I have never worked closely or at Microsoft, thankfully.)

I always wonder if you download some commercial software if someone has tampered with it, but I guess you can't be too choosy when you're cheating the system.

In any case, these forums don't support piracy so it's an iffy situation when we talk about it here.
 
Nermal said:
There's an x64 version too.
Click to expand...

Yes but x64 is a x86 processor, correct? So asking if they need the x86 version vs x64 version is redundant. It was kind of a round about way of asking if they needed the 32 or 64 bit version.

I think I'm just over complicating things, I'll just shut up now. :eek:
 
charlestrippy said:
so i'm curious - i want to get vista (getting from my friend) and i'd like to know what my mbp can handle...
its the MBP c2d 2.33 ghz, 2gb ram - but im not sure how to know if it's x86, 84 or whatever...

thanks!

sorry for the dumb question!
Click to expand...

C2D is a 64-bit processor, if Bootcamp supports it, I'd go for that if you want to run Bootcamp. Parallels runs under OSX, and it won't be fully 64-bit until the next release- the 32-bit version should run just fine in either case, assuming you can get something to boot it. If you want to protect your OSX install, then I'd got with Parallels or VMWare as soon as one of them supports it. Bootcamp gives the underlying OS direct access to the hardware on the system, and given Vista's newness, I'd be nervous to dual-boot it until we see the first service pack.
 
bousozoku said:
I agree with trying something, as long as there is a trial version but getting something illegally just isn't right. There are so many ways to do things the right way.

Besides, doing software development, I don't appreciate when someone pirates any of the software I've done. (No, I have never worked closely or at Microsoft, thankfully.)

I always wonder if you download some commercial software if someone has tampered with it, but I guess you can't be too choosy when you're cheating the system.

In any case, these forums don't support piracy so it's an iffy situation when we talk about it here.
Click to expand...

You can install a trial version from the Vista DVD too. Leave the cd-key field in the installation process blank and you get some sort of trial period.
 
Nermal said:
Microsoft markets them as "x86" and "x64" as far as I know. Therefore it's a sensible question.
Click to expand...
Yeah, I thought that was really silly, why "x64" when it's so close to x86? Just saying 32-bit and 64-bit seems better. :confused:

Even though your C2D MBP may support the x64 version, from all I've read you should install the x86 version because driver support in the x64 version is just worse. The only reason to use it would be if you're doing 64-bit specific tasks.

I believe all versions of Vista, or at least Vista Ultimata, come with both x64 and x86, so you shouldn't have to worry.
 
apfhex said:
I believe all versions of Vista, or at least Vista Ultimata, come with both x64 and x86, so you shouldn't have to worry.
Click to expand...

There are so many things wrong with that sentence, yet there is nothing wrong, let me explain... First of all, you are correct, just not in the way you think..

To make this clear x64 IS x86. x64 is an extension to x86.

Every single version of windows is made for x86, so don't think that an x64 windows version wont run on an x86 processor. The x64 version won't run on x86 processors that do not support the x64 extensions.

The distinction you should be making here is windows vista x64 (64-bit) and windows vista (32-bit). There are 32-bit and 64-bit versions of windows, both of witch are made for the x86 processor.


To answer your question, your computer can run either the 64-bit (x64) or the 32-bit version, but you are much better off getting the 32-bit (non x64 version) version.

Edit: I forgot to add, the 32-bit and 64-bit versions of windows are sold separately, not together as the quoted statement implies.
 
HibyPrime is correct. x64 is an extension to x86, the Core 2 Duo's are not a true 64 bit chip in the true sense, they have Intel's (or originally AMD) EMT64 64bit extensions which allow for larger memory access and they do support running at 64 bit OS. However the last true 64 bit chip in the mainstream world of p.c. class machines was the Alpha and Rxxxx series of chips. The AMD64's do not fall into this same subset as they contain a 64 bit and a 32 bit execution core with shared memory access. The SUN systems have run a variation on the Rxxx series chips up until recently and are gradually adopting the Opterons. This does not make the Core 2 Duo chips any less than a true 64 bit chip, if anything its a progression to more improved design in hardware for computing needs.
 
I should have added that HibyPrime is also correct in suggesting using the 32 bit version of Vista for a whole host of reasons I wont go into. Basically, you'll have the best support for all software currently available on the 32 bit platform.
 
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