Flow My Thoughts, The IT Professor Said

Visual Studio 64

http://entmag.com/news/article.asp?EditorialsID=5890

More indication that 64-bit computing is the wave of the future which is beginning to crest before breaking on our sunny beach of IT activity: a short article suggesting that the next version of Microsoft Visual Studio.NET will support 64-bit development.

We appear to be in the same condition relative to 64-bit computing that we were about a decade ago in relation to 32-bit computing: it was a big transition to make, there were lots of compatibility issues to resolve, and yet, within a couple of years, the market momentum had built to the point that the shift was inevitable. The question of utility was somewhat more pressing a decade ago; the change to 32-bit systems was made with good reason.

Right now, it is the server end of the IT spectrum which most needs 64-bit processing, and such hardware is being installed. It may take longer for this to manifest itself on the desktop, but only those who consider the current desktop the peak of computational perfection would think this will take very long, and my estimate is about 4 years maximum.

Incidentally, this may be the inflection point where there is once again a major hardware difference between systems used at work and those used for non-business purposes in the home environment.