sorry but just need to vent!

[bartman (Bart)]

Why is it that we can send spacecraft beyond our solar system, collide particles so that we can detect new particle thingymajigs ( Higgs-Boson), build a SKA (hopefully here in WA), detect planets beyond our solar system, face recognition, dna mapping, etc etc,

but cant get certain software programs that will run on 64 bit platform os's???????.

Yes I know there are a different set of rules/code for 32/64 bit os which prohibits certain programs to operate in either/either os.
But for frells sake, whats the point of buying a 64 bit os. We are in an age where you can cheaply buy 8/16 Gb of memory but cant use it in 32 bit os.
What I'm tying to say is that computers and their associated hardware components are way ahead of software - open source, commercial, pubic etc.

Money? Time? Resources?........they cant be the answer.
Look at the start of my post......


So my question is:
Why cant a software developer ( commercial or private) develop a program that can convert programs from 32 bit to 64 bit??????
( btw running a 32bit program in vista 64bit using the 'compatability mode' hasn't worked for me!)

Toooo hard?????
How come we can ....well.... once again see the start of my post....
Where there is a will there is a way.
Surely we can do something...(sorry not me. I only know a very little BASIC and PASCAL )
Has it something to do with certain companies not allowing this?. ie A tyre has been developed that has exceptional grip and wears out very slowly, but major tyre companies have quelled that cause they will go out of business if it comes to fruition?


Like I said ....
JUST VENTING

Bartman

P.S. the reason for this post is that my gstar clr is not recognised in PHD or the gstar capture program ( see this forum). From looking at various forums it looks like those programs dont like 64 bit.... the program that came with the usb ->composite adapter works fine with the gstar in 64 bit.
I now have to frell around with my lappy (32bit vista)- (installing etc) and see if it works....

[Miaplacidus (Brian)]

Any programmer who achieves this compatibility is probably quickly paid off by the software and hardware manufacturers, who make their money from all the enforced upgrades. (Conspiracy theory number 325 in a continuing series.)

Or perhaps not...

[jjjnettie (Jeanette)]

Have you tried changing the setting on your puter to xp mode, then run the program??

[Visionoz (Bill)]

Originally Posted by jjjnettie

Have you tried changing the setting on your puter to xp mode, then run the program??

Originally Posted by bartman

So my question is:
Why cant a software developer ( commercial or private) develop a program that can convert programs from 32 bit to 64 bit??????
( btw running a 32bit program in vista 64bit using the 'compatability mode' hasn't worked for me!)

He's tried it already!

Cheers
Bill

[mithrandir (Andrew)]

Originally Posted by bartman

But for frells sake, whats the point of buying a 64 bit os. We are in an age where you can cheaply buy 8/16 Gb of memory but cant use it in 32 bit os.
What I'm tying to say is that computers and their associated hardware components are way ahead of software - open source, commercial, pubic etc.

If you have the right AMD/Intel hardware and O/S you can make use of 16GB with a 32 bit O/S. Each application will still only get access to 4GB, out of which comes the memory used by hardware like the video card.

Converting a 32bit app to 64bit requires the source code. All the pointer variables have to changed from 32bits to 64bits and you can't do that without the source. If the programmer has done something weird that expects pointers and "long integers" to be the same size and have no alignment restrictions you very quickly come to grief. Anyone who has tried porting apps written for Intel hardware to SPARC or Power hardware knows all about that.

Try these possibilities:
"long int" and pointer both 32 bits. (classic 32 bit design).
"long int" 64 bits and pointer 32 bits. (32 bit AIX or Solaris design).
"long int" 32 bits and pointer 64 bits. (one version of 64 bit design).
"long int" and pointer both 64 bits. (64 bit AIX or Solaris 64 bit design).

64 bit Windows uses one of the "long int" formats and the 64 bit pointers. I can't remember which.

Then all the libraries you depend on also have to be 64 bit.

[supernova1965 (Warren)]

As 64bit becomes more common you will find the software makers will start to come on with 64bit editions it has always been the way that the hardware outruns the software. I am using win7 64bit an it runs 32bit software no problems it even installs it in a separate programs folder called Programs Files x86 and has a normal Programs Files folder for 64bit apps. The only thing with Win7 64bit if your drivers are not digitally signed they wont run unless you press F8 on boot and select disable digital driver signing on every boot.