Downgrading from Vista 64bit … to 32bit?
When I built my new computer back in April, I was psyched that I could get a 64bit OS, and have a shit ton of RAM installed on it. Immediately I ordered 4Gig, which was a huge upgrade from the 1Gig that I had in my Windows XP Pro machine. Right off the bat, I noticed that it was quite a task to hunt down 64bit drivers for my hardware.
As time went on I discovered that software like Google Desktop was not supported on a 64bit platform. Not only the fact that some software “isn’t supported”, but the task of making sure to hunt down the 64bit build of every program is a pain in the ass. Keeping track of two “Program Files” folders just makes that pain in my ass that much worse.
Some friends recommended that I drop back down to Windows XP. I think that I can admit that Vista has grown on me. I love the layout, the look, and the general feel of it. Vista has yet to give me any issues like many people have. I’m sticking with Vista, and have purchased a 32bit home premium copy. I know I’ll loose some of my RAM, but to loose the hastle that comes with a 64bit os with that is just fine.
This is my last planned reformat / partition for a long time, so I’ve also decided to go ahead and install a copy of Ubuntu right next to it. I’ve always wanted to take a real dive into a linux desktop. This should prove to be interesting!