To 64 bit system users,

Anyone of you thinking of upgrading to or “test-drive” Microsoft latest WinXP Professional 64bit system?

If, yes, then you might want to read this preview.

The conclusion is:

Windows XP Professional x64 Edition Release Candidate 2 (RC2) is a rousing technological achievement, a near-perfect migration of Windows XP Professional to a 64-bit code base that doesn’t sacrifice performance for 64-bit capabilities. But while XP x64 is far more compatible with hardware and software than its Itanium-based predecessor, it is also not compatible enough to meet the needs of average users. Therefore, most XP users should stick with XP 32-bit through at least the end of 2005.

If you’re a technology enthusiast with the right hardware, however, XP x64 offers a chance to live on the edge in a way that hasn’t been possible for Windows users since the HCL-wielding days of NT 4. With XP x64, Microsoft has provided a superb technological base for the next several years, one that will likely become the mainstream computing platform during the Longhorn time frame. Like a faraway land full of treasure real or imagined in an age of explorers, XP x64 is there for the brave and foolhardy.

By Paul Thurrott