Many programs i use on my computer ( steam for example ) are still using 32 bits according to task manager. Why is that ? Why haven’t evertything moved to x86-64 ? According to a quick google search, the last 32-bits cpu was sold in 2002… so it can’t be for compatibility reasons, can it ?
In: Technology
The difference between x86-32bit and 64bit is minor from an execution standpoint. This basically means the processor operates on 8 bytes at once instead of 4. That is to say, it’s not a new, better instruction set. So Upgrading doesn’t give you much benefit. Now that is NOT true if you were using the Intel 64bit instruction set.
This means that because x86-64bit is reverse compatible with 32bit, there is little drive to update old software.
But why is new software not always made 64bit? One reason is that all processors today are reverse compatible. So if you want to distribute one program for everyone, that is how to do it. The advantage here is you don’t have to distribute multiple compiled programs, which could each have unique bugs.
There is another reason I can think of. Microsoft does not push for it. I am often critical of Microsoft because I feel they are twenty years behind the times. Microsoft Office continues to be preferably delivered as 32-bit. While universal compatibility partially explains this, it seems to me they are too slow to change to the point of being detrimental.
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