64-bit

64-bit versions of Windows, Mac OS X, and Linux now are in widespread use, and software for the operating systems is following suit. So it may seem a bit backward that Adobe withdrew its only 64-bit version of Flash Player.

But don't take the disappearance of Adobe Labs' experimental 64-bit Flash Player for Linux as a sign of things to come. Moving its widely used browser plug-in beyond the 32-bit era is a "top priority," said Tom Nguyen, Adobe's Flash Player product manager, on Saturday.

However, Adobe isn't committing itself publicly to a delivery schedule. … Read more

All you owners of 64-bit Windows computers will be pleased to know that Mozilla is finally throwing your Windows PC a bone. On Friday, Mozilla announced an early-stage version of a Firefox browser compatible with 64-bit processors. The experimental build is available to anyone brave enough to test an unstable, in-development browser, though we recommend taking caution if you do. Otherwise, patience should get you a stable version of Firefox 4 with support for 64-bit PCs around November.

It's been a long time since we've seen significant change to ZoneAlarm's Firewall, but a new version of the … Read more

Microsoft is working on a patch to fix a hole in a 64-bit Windows 7 graphics display component that could be exploited to crash the system or potentially take control of the computer by running code remotely.

The company is investigating a new publicly reported vulnerability in the Windows Canonical Display Driver (cdd.dll) that affects 64-bit versions of Windows 7 and Windows Server 2008 R2, and Itanium-based Windows Server 2008 R2. The driver enables applications to use graphics and formatted text on the video display and printer.

Microsoft is working on a security update to address the vulnerability and … Read more

It will be a slow, drawn-out process, but Microsoft is phasing out its support for Intel's once-promising Itanium chip.

In a blog posting on Friday, Microsoft said that the current version of Windows Server--Windows Server 2008 R2--will be the last one that supports the Itanium. Microsoft also said that its SQL Server 2008 R2 and Visual Studio 2010 will be the last version of its database and developer tools that run on the Intel chip.

Windows Server senior technical product manager Dan Reger said the move reflects the fact that 64-bit versions of traditional x86 processors can handle even … Read more

A number of BitDefender users, whose 64-bit Windows systems stopped working or were unable to be rebooted after security program updates, vented their frustration by flooding the antivirus vendor's forum pages over the weekend.

According to an IDG report, users on forum boards started signaling the problem on Saturday evening. The complainants said several Windows files, as well as the security vendor's own program files, were identified as "Trojan.FakeAlert.5" malware after they performed an update for their BitDefender antivirus programs.

In an e-mail update Monday to ZDNet Asia, Vitor Souza, BitDefender's global communications … Read more

For people who use Apple's pro audio applications Logic and Mainstage, the applications were recently updated to versions that are fully 64-bit capable, which allows them to better take advantage of the hardware capabilities in Apple's computers. This enables users to run more plugins and other features at the same time without a performance hit. Despite this benefit, there may be some unforeseen incompatibilities when running in 64-bit mode that users should be aware of.… Read more

The latest version of the popular Revo Uninstaller utility now removes 64-bit apps and throws in a host of other new features.

The VS Revo Group this week unveiled the new $40 professional edition of its Revo Uninstaller, a utility that can cleanly rid your system of unwanted software. Available in the past solely as freeware, Revo Uninstaller will now come in two flavors--the free edition and the pro. The free version hasn't been updated since the spring and so lacks many of the new features found in its professional cousin.

Shenel Emin, a product manager at VS Revo … Read more

I remember the first time I ran into Windows in 1995. It was in one of the few small computer shops in Hanoi, Vietnam, where you had to pay money to use the machines. Being a high school student with absolutely no money, I made friends with the owner and helped him clean up the place just so I could use the computers after-hours. And I spent many hours using them.

Compared with what I had known, namely MS DOS, Windows 95 was truly revolutionary. I loved the support for long file names and marveled at the Start menu, the Taskbar, and the Control Panel. Everything made so much sense then, as it still does to this day.

Now, after having used Windows 7 exclusively for about four months on my PCs and even on my Mac, I realized that the impression Windows 95 made on me was far stronger than that of Windows 7 (or any other Windows).

Don't get me wrong. This is not a Windows 7-bashing article. Windows 7 is undoubtedly the most advanced and probably the best Windows ever. However, after 14 years, I think it's time Windows offered something more original than just improving and thriving on the success of Windows 95.

This is why when I saw the "I am a PC and Windows 7 was my idea" ads, I just wanted to jump into panel to ask the presumptuous-looking guy, "What is your idea, dude, really? What's really new?" (And speaking of original, come on Microsoft! You can do better than imitating Apple's painfully old and goofy, "I am a Mac, I am a PC" ads!)

So, strictly from a user's point of view, here are my ideas for how Windows could be better. … Read more