Fully 64 bit now...

[vansouza]

... anyone else notice that Lion has enabled 64 bit processing that was not there with Snow Leopard?

Perviously my 2.8 extreme first generation iMac was not fully in 64 bit mode and now it is... makes me very happy...

 

[jayhawk11]

... anyone else notice that Lion has enabled 64 bit processing that was not there with Snow Leopard?

Perviously my 2.8 extreme first generation iMac was not fully in 64 bit mode and now it is... makes me very happy...

I'm assuming you're referring to the 64-bit Kernel? Yes, it boots K64 by default now. I think the 8 years it's taken driver developers to get to this point is enough

 

[kdum8]

... anyone else notice that Lion has enabled 64 bit processing that was not there with Snow Leopard?

Perviously my 2.8 extreme first generation iMac was not fully in 64 bit mode and now it is... makes me very happy...

What practical difference will this make to the average user and how is this better?

 

[daneoni]

You could always enable it in Snow Leopard. In fact the 2011 MBPs boot into 64-bit kernel mode...factory default.

What practical difference will this make to the average user and how is this better?

32-bit Applications & Kernel taking advantage of more than 4GB of RAM is all.

 

[simsaladimbamba]

Applications taking advantage of more than 4GB of RAM is all.

But applications can take advantage of more than 4GB RAM in the 32-bit kernel, can't they?

 

[daneoni]

But applications can take advantage of more than 4GB RAM in the 32-bit kernel, can't they?

If they are 64-bit apps.

I also forgot to add that the kernel becomes more efficient in handling memory when in 64-bit mode. Full breakdown here

 

[simsaladimbamba]

If they are 64-bit apps.

Yep, forgot to add that.
I assumed you were talking about the kernel.

And just out of curiosity, does Apple require applications and drivers to be in 64-bit for 10.7?

 

[daneoni]

Yep, forgot to add that.
I assumed you were talking about the kernel.

The 32-bit kernel is also part of this limitation. It can only use 4GB of RAM to do it's job (which is enough for now). But that limitation goes out the window in 64-bit mode.

And just out of curiosity, does Apple require applications and drivers to be in 64-bit for 10.7?

They would REALLY like you to but there's no enforced rule or anything.

 

[yetanotherdave]

They would REALLY like you to but there's no enforced rule or anything.

Yeah, then they might have to update iTunes to 64bit, and we can't be having that can we?

 

[daneoni]

Yeah, then they might have to update iTunes to 64bit, and we can't be having that can we?

I dunno whats taking them so long on that front. One of the apps that needs a Cocoa 64-bit rewrite BADLY