On 2011-10-17, at 9:20 AM, Yasha Karant wrote: > On 10/17/2011 06:38 AM, Mark Stodola wrote: > [...] > Now I have a decision to make: IA-32 SL 6.1 or X86-64 SL 6.1 . The > processor will support X86-64, but the machine only has 4 Mbyte of RAM > as delivered (upgradeable to 8 Mbyte -- but this is a cost) -- which is > only 0.5 Mword in X86-64 64 bit mode. The hard drive is 500 Gbyte SATA > at 5400 RPM -- not a high performance unit. > > There is no special need for 64 bit work on the machine that primarily > is an end-user linux workstation: web browser (including use of > university services only available through such an interface), IMAP > email client, OpenOffice, various LaTeX interfaces, some display of > video, use of Linux VirtualBox to use MS Win (for which the unit is > licensed) to use a MS Win only application, but no development or > programming -- and the ability for a skilled end user under Network > Manager to connect to whatever 802.11 WAP that is available without my > intervention. > > Thus, my feeling is to stay with the IA-32 environment. Any thoughts to > the contrary? > > Yasha Karant
I would recommend using 64 bit for any virtual machine usage. Besides which, I think the only thing that wasn't 64 bit on linux for desktops was flash-plugin - which, I think is no longer the case (I cannot find any references though, anyone care to correct/confirm me?) -Chris
