Microsoft Windows XP 64 Bit

After a few unplanned delays, Microsoft has finally released its Windows XP Professional x64 Edition. The first step into the 64-bit world was made by AMD. AMD has been waiting 3 years for this release while users who have AMD's x86-64 platform were only able up till now to take advantage of the full capabilities with the freeware Linux operating system. For a long time, Intel had ignored the 64-Bit architecture. It is quite interesting that, a few weeks after the release of Intel's CPU with x86-64 architecture, the Windows XP 64-Bit edition has also been released. It appears as if Microsoft was holding back on its release until the new CPU was ready.

So while the x86-64 bit architecture is gaining momentum becoming more and more popular for its features and with newer CPUs like the Celeron D processors expected in the near future, it is time then to take a deep look into the new operating system from Microsoft which has promised.so much.

Microsoft's first venture into 64-bit OS is not for the faint of heart; only early adopters and those running 64-bit software should give Windows XP Professional x64 a try.The operating systems from Microsoft supporting 64bit extensions of the x86 architecture are still one of the most acute topics for discussion out there. The thing is that there are quite a few processors in the market, which support x86-64, although there are still no mass operating systems fort this architecture. At present the owners of 64-bit AMD Athlon 64 FX and AMD Athlon 64 processors have either to out up with the fact that their CPU doesn’t use its given potential power to the full extent when working under 32-bit operating systems, or to got for Linux systems, which are  considerably less popular compared to Windows.

The need for 64-bit Windows-type of systems compatible with the x86-64 bit architecture gets even more and more vital since the Intel’s new processors are also going to acquire 64bit extensions support in the nearest future. The upcoming Intel Pentium 4 XE and Intel Pentium 4 6XX processors due later this month, will also support 64-bit extensions of the x86 architecture, just like their competitors from AMD. Also, they will introduce compatibility with x86-64 architecture in their budget Celeron D processors in the nearest future.

The first system from this family, Windows XP Professional x64 Edition, is expected to be officially announced during CeBIT in Germany, which traditionally takes place in early spring. In the meanwhile, in the beginning of this year, Microsoft provided the Release candidate 1 of this operating system, which they allow using for introductory purposes. So, our today’s article is going to be devoted to the features and peculiarities of the upcoming Windows XP Professional x64 Edition version 1289, which is none other but this particular RC1.

Microsoft recently released a new build of Windows XP 64-bit Edition (Now dubbed Windows XP Professional X64 Edition) to testers around the globe. This release is part of their consumer preview program (CPP), which allows anyone to freely download the operating system with a one year product key, but there is no customer support for the OS from Microsoft. This is a great way for Microsoft to let people know what's coming down the pipeline, and a great way to stamp out bugs in the operating system before it's shipped out to the mass markets. The freely available operating system is based in build 1218, much more recent than their last publicly available version (build 1184), which was becoming quite ancient by today's standards.

As an evolutionary product, Windows Media Player 10 is immediately recognizable as a member of Microsoft's Windows Media Player product family, and yet it also offers a fresh face to what has always been an overly complicated product. Windows Media Player 10, if you can believe it, actually offers a lot more functionality than previous versions of the player, but it presents much of that functionality in far simpler ways. For example, in addition to aggregating music and video files like previous versions, Windows Media Player 10 can aggregate pictures, Recorded TV shows, and other media, though that ability might be limited by the kind of PC you have, and which portable devices you interact with. The free media player completely overhauls version 9, offering a simple, clutter-free interface that reflects the influence of massive consumer and focus-group testing.

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