Category Archives: 64-Bit Software News

While the 64-bit Windows Vista installation will come with a 32-bit emulation layer called Window on Windows (WOW) which will allow you to run your old 32-bit apps on your 64-bit Vista via emulation, the 32-bit hardware drivers will not work on new Microsoft’s operating system. Opposite to that, recently previewed Mac OS X Leopard will come with 64-bit and full non-emulated 32-bit support.

Dean Pullen in his article for The Inquirer sees Leopard’s non-emulated support for 32-bit applications and drivers as a great advantage compared to 64-bit version of Windows Vista.

“Note that the non-emulated support in OSX is for applications and drivers. 32-bit programs on Vista 64 need to work on WOW emulation to run in Vista, and 32-bit drivers are a no-no. Lack of driver support is the main reason Windows XP x64 hasn’t been widely adopted, and why the Vista fudge will ensure hardware incompatibilities between the two Windows versions remain for sometime to come.

This is quite a boon for OSX, and one that should be highlighted frequently and often,” says Pullen.

64-bit Leopard knocks spots off Vista

Apple previewed Mac OS X version 10.5 Leopard, the sixth major version of Mac OS X, to its third party developers. The new Leopard offers 64-bit computing along with 32-bit legacy support without emulation.

Apple’s pointed new features of Mac Leopard operating system includes Time Machine, a new way to automatically back up and restore everything on Mac, and Spaces to instantly switch between groups of applications required for various tasks. There are also improvement to Spotlight, a search feature, and improved iChat, as well as a new Dashboard feature that will contain around 2,500 Widgets. So called Core Animation developer tool, which will be part of the updated Mac OS X, can be used to create motion graphics with only little coding.

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Autodesk has announced Autodesk 3ds Max 9, the latest version of its 3D modeling, animation and rendering software solution, which now supports 64-bit technologies.

“3ds Max 9 software’s 64-bit architecture makes it easier to work with the huge datasets required for next-generation digital content creation”, says press release.

Autodesk anticipates 3ds Max 9 is expected to be available in English in October 2006, and in additional languages in the future. The Autodesk suggested retail price for 3ds Max 9 software is US $3,495 and price to upgrade from 3ds Max 8 to 3ds Max 9 is US $795.

3ds Max 9 Now Supports 64 Bit Technologies

3Dconnexion, a Logitech company, today announced its latest 3DxSoftware release, which includes support for professional graphics applications that leverage 64-bit processor architecture. 3Dconnexion’s navigation input devices (also known as 3D motion controllers), including SpacePilot, SpaceTraveler, and SpaceBall, deliver productivity enhancements as well as improved performance and rapid response times when combined with advanced 64-bit hardware and software tools.

This new level of support will be featured at SIGGRAPH ’06, July 30 through August 3 at the Boston Convention Center, where 3Dconnexion’s award-winning products will be featured in the Guerilla Studio and the company’s booth #2306.

“We’re pleased to see that 3Dconnexion is among the early supporters of 64-bit technology, so when new applications and CPU upgrades become available, customers who use them with 3Dconnexion’s input devices will won’t suffer any interruption in their workflow. 3Dconnexion’s 64-bit support contributes to the designer’s ability to get the most from the power that the 64-bit architecture provides for working with data-intensive applications such as 3D animation and CAD,” said Dr. Jon Peddie, president of Jon Peddie Research, located in Tiburon, California.

3Dconnexion’s Support for 64-Bit Computing Enhances Interaction with Large Datasets; 3Dconnexion Navigation Input Devices to be featured at SIGGRAPH ’06 Guerilla Studio and in Booth #2306 at Boston Convention Center

Pragma Systems, Inc., a leading provider of enterprise class Windows servers for Microsoft platforms, announces the pre-release of the 64-bit edition of Pragma FortressSSH, Pragma FortressSSH ClientSuite and Pragma TelnetServer for Windows Vista/2003/2000/XP. Customers now have the option of running either the 64-bit version or 32-bit version of Pragma FortressSSH and Pragma TelnetServer across their enterprise.

Pragma FortressSSH Server 5.0, FortressSSH ClientSuite 5.0 and Pragma TelnetServer 7.0 will support the new Microsoft Vista and Longhorn operating systems. Pragma’s products allow enterprises remote access and management to computers in their companies. Customers have a reliable way to utilize system administration, application delivery and secure encrypted file transfer throughout computing environments with Pragma’s product suite.

“We wanted to maintain our market leadership in the telnet and SSH space, and believe that being the first to announce 64-bit compatibility demonstrates our commitment in this area,” said Andrew Tull, Pragma’s vice president of sales and marketing.

Pragma Systems Introduces 64-Bit Versions of Product Suite: Financial News – Yahoo! Finance

Absoft Corp. announced it is shipping its Fortran compiler for 64-bit Windows XP and Windows Compute Cluster Server 2003.

Version 10 of the Absoft Fortran Compiler implements the complete Fortran 95 standard and is based on the same release that the Rochester Hills, Michigan-based company shipped earlier for Linux, the company said in a statement.

The new compiler supports 64-bit memory addressing available in workstation and server CPUs such Intel’s Xeon and AMD’s Opteron processors.

Absoft said that code generated by the compiler is fully source-compatible with Absoft 32-bit Pro Fortran version 9.0 for Windows and is designed to help migrate existing 32-bit applications to 64-bit Windows to take advantage of the extended 64-bit memory capabilities and performance.

The compiler is also source-compatible with Absoft Fortran compilers for Linux and Mac OS, supporting applications for all of those platforms from a single code base. Additionally, Absoft Fortran compilers are fully compatible with Microsoft’s .NET Framework, the company said.

Redmond | News: Updated Fortran for 64-bit Windows Bows

Synopsys, Inc. announced the availability of a new Sentaurus TCAD release that adds significant process and device modeling capabilities for accelerated development of advanced technologies, as well as full support for 64-bit Dual-Core Intel Xeon CPUs. With continued device migration to smaller process geometries and new technology nodes, TCAD tools are essential for developing and optimizing semiconductor processes and devices, thereby significantly reducing technology development time and cost.

Increased computing power makes it less expensive for semiconductor manufacturers to perform large-scale TCAD simulations as diverse as deep-submicron 3D effects, CMOS image sensors, nonvolatile memories, radiation single-event effects and ESD protection devices, thereby helping reduce experimental costs significantly. The 64-bit Dual-Core Intel Xeon processors offer the performance and throughput required to run large-scale TCAD simulations efficiently. Customers involved in the technical development in manufacturing can also take advantage of parallel computing benefits of dual-core Intel Xeon processor-based platforms with the Sentaurus Parallel option to reduce simulation time.

Synopsys Delivers New Release of Sentaurus TCAD Tool Suite on Dual-Core Intel Xeon Processors

AMD announced today that AMD Opteron and AMD Athlon 64 processor-based systems and AMD Turion 64 mobile technology have achieved YES Certification from Novell, further validating the company’s commitment to interoperability and customer-centric innovation.

Novell YES Certification demonstrates the highest level of compatibility and interoperability with Novell products, including SUSE Linux Enterprise Server. The certification assures users that systems powered by AMD processors are compatible with SUSE Linux Enterprise Server and backed by support offerings from both Novell and AMD.

Chron.com | (BW) AMD Receives Novell YES Certification for AMD64 Processor-Based Systems; YES Certification Assures Compatibility With SUSE Linux

Windows Vista Beta 2 download is now available. The download is an ISO file of Windows Vista Beta 2, which is about 3.5 gigabytes (GB) for the 32-bit edition or 4.4 GB for the 64-bit edition.

There is also option to have the Windows Vista Beta 2 and RC1 DVD kits sent to your home or office. This option requires payment to cover DVD production, shipping, and handling costs.
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According to Edge Software, UGS Corp., a leading global provider of product lifecycle management (PLM) software and services, today announced Version 19 of Solid Edge(r) software, its industry-leading, 3D computer-aided design (CAD) solution.

* New 64-bit version – Solid Edge users create assemblies in excess of 100,000 parts, and the new 64-bit edition, introduced with Version 19, expedites the creation of massive assemblies and their associated drawings.

Edge Software – 3D software introduced to Australia

Sophos has incorporated several new features in a security software package released Wednesday that allows network administrators to manage security for thousands of computers from a single console.

Sophos Endpoint Security can detect, remove and block adware and applications that may have been downloaded by users but are not permitted on a network, said John Shaw, Sophos group product manager.

The product is aimed at enterprises, as Sophos does not make a consumer product. Its customers requested adware and unwanted application removal functions wrapped in one product, Shaw said.

It also includes a client firewall that stops worms and controls unauthorized application communication, Shaw said. The firewall technology comes from Agnitum, a security company in St. Petersburg, Russia.

Endpoint Security includes Antivirus 6.0, an upgraded version of it antivirus software. Antivirus 6.0 receive regular virus signature updates for desktops, laptops and servers. Sophos says its antivirus product has technology called Genotype that protects against new threats by comparing them against known ones.

Antivirus 6.0 is compatible with 64-bit versions of Microsoft’s Windows 2000, XP and 2003 operating systems.

Sophos releases upgraded security software – Network World

Buying systems with 2GB of RAM and a 128MB-256MB video card isn’t a big deal. The question mark happens when you consider CPUs. Purchasing a a 32-bit CPU vs. a 64-bit CPU is the issue. 32-bit silicon is enough to run Vista, but we definitely like the 64-bit performance. Only trouble is, if you buy a 64-bit CPU today, you’re either wasting it on Windows XP 32-bit, or you’re dealing with loads of driver issues if you opt for Windows XP x64.

My advice is to buy the 64-bit CPU now, run it in 32-bit mode and then move up to a 64-bit OS with the swap to Vista.

SMB IT | InfoWorld | Vista Hardware: What to Buy Today for Tomorrow’s OS | June 5, 2006 05:16 PM | By Oliver Rist

It was once uncommon to see servers running Advanced Micro Devices Inc. Opteron processors in IT shops that heavily favored the Windows operating system. But Windows managers no longer rely exclusively on machines with processors made by Intel Corp. Joan Goodchild met with Barry Crume, AMD’s Microsoft Alliance director, at the Windows Hardware Engineering Conference, for his perspective on new trends in Windows hardware, Vista and virtualization.

SearchWinIT.com: Your job, as you describe it, is to make sure AMD and Microsoft products work together. What have you been collaborating on recently

Barry Crume: We are helping Microsoft make all their products with a clear bias toward 64-bit and dual core processors. Recently a lot of the emphasis has been on Vista and it has been exciting to have the challenge of solving some of the complexities of developing an operating system. Developing complex code takes engineers a lot of time and [a lot of testing]. Million-line code problems are tough to solve. It may have complexity on the back side, which means you need a lot of computing horsepower. But at end of day, if it is easy to understand, then we have solved the problem.

AMD chips signal new era in Windows shops

ALGOR, Inc., a leading provider of design, analysis and simulation software, announced that its latest finite element analysis (FEA) software release, ALGOR V19.1, features all-new support for the 64-bit HP-UX(R) operating system for all analysis types. Now, UNIX workstation users can simulate engineering analyses of their product designs with ALGOR’s wide range of simulation capabilities including static stress and Mechanical Event Simulation (MES) with linear and nonlinear material models, linear dynamics, steady-state and transient heat transfer, steady and unsteady fluid flow, electrostatics and full multiphysics.

ALGOR V19.1 Supports 64-Bit HP-UX for All Analysis Types

The problem: you’ve taken the trouble to hand-build your finely tuned 64-bit computer, and you’ve installed your favorite 64-bit flavor of Linux — but the cretins who run the World Wide Web are still putting up content viewable only on 32-bit Intel-compatible Web browsers, either designed for their in-house plugins that they supply only as 32-bit binaries, or in compressed media formats for which players are available only as 32-bit binaries. What are your options?

The easiest thing to do is to install a 32-bit browser inside a “chroot jail” — a minimalistic 32-bit system, including just the browser and the support libraries it needs to run (in this case, including specifically the 32-bit plugins and codecs), isolated from the rest of the system in a directory sealed off via the chroot command. You can launch the 32-bit browser from the 64-bit environment and it will connect and browse the Web like normal, but it will not be able to access resources on your machine installed outside of the chroot jail.

For normal browsing and viewing embedded media, this setup works like a charm. You can install plugins and media codecs directly from within the browser, in most cases. You can even install the 32-bit version of your distro’s package management application and keep everything up-to-date at little to no extra effort.

NewsForge | 32-bit browsing in a 64-bit system