Question: AMD64 vs IA64 programs

[va!n]

Downloading and running 32bit programs for Windows is no problem. Since AMD and Intel are delivering 64bit based CPUs you can often download programs in three different versions!! o_O

- 32 bit (normal Windows 2k/XP i.e.)
- AMD64 bit
- AI64 bit

So, where is the different of the 64bit stuff? Does AMD64 programs only work on 64bit AMD CPUs and AI64 programs only on 64bit Intel CPUs? (also isnt AMD64 compatible with AI64?) I dont hope so else this would be totally silly and split the markt in two parts.

[maw]

I assume you mean IA-64, which was/is used in Intel's Itanium CPU. It never reach any desktop CPU and can now be put in the same category as RDRAM, old and obsolete

AMD won the 64 bits instruction race and Intel had really no choice but to follow. So Intel is really using AMD's 64 bits instructions now, and therefore AMD and Intel are fully compatible! Thank god!

[va!n]

ah, thank you very mutch and thank god they are fully compatible!