64-bit operating systems enter the mainstream

The impact of Microsoft Windows Vista x64 on engineering and scientific applications is discussed. Applications running on Windows Vista x64 may experience improved performance because of the larger amount of available memory, even if the application is running within the WOW64 layer. The larger memory space allows more processes to actively reside in physical memory simultaneously. This could eliminate or reduce time spent loading and switching between processes. Applications for creating digital content in application areas such as computer-aided design and digital video editing benefit from Vista. Vision acquisition and analysis applications with large amounts of data moving directly into memory at rapid rates are also benefited. While Windows Vista x64 makes working with huge data sets easier in areas such as digital video, scientific computing and large databases, most applications will not see performance benefits by moving to Windows Vista x64. 64-bit processors have the added ability to access more memory.