Windows Vista Retail: Is it 64 or 32 bit?

[Troll4Hire]

If I buy the Windows Vista Retail Version (not OEM), does the DVD include both 64bit and 32bit on the disc or is 32bit and 64bit sold separately like the OEM versions?

I think I will get Ultimate or Business.

 

[pcgeek11]

Ultimate Retail comes with both disk. None of the others come with both disk.

Microsoft will ship you the 64 bit disk for shipping cost if you purchase a Retail version 32 bit.

pcgeek11

 

[Troll4Hire]

Originally posted by: pcgeek11
Ultimate Retail comes with both disk. None of the others come with both disk.

Microsoft will ship you the 64 bit disk for shipping cost if you purchase a Retail version 32 bit.

pcgeek11

Talk about billionaire cheapskates. You spend $200+ on an OS and they cannot provide you with a second 10¢ DVD. For petes sake, I'll pay the difference MS; just include the damn disc!

 

[Rebel44]

You can buy 64bit version.

 

[Genx87]

Originally posted by: Troll4Hire

Originally posted by: pcgeek11
Ultimate Retail comes with both disk. None of the others come with both disk.

Microsoft will ship you the 64 bit disk for shipping cost if you purchase a Retail version 32 bit.

pcgeek11

Talk about billionaire cheapskates. You spend $200+ on an OS and they cannot provide you with a second 10¢ DVD. For petes sake, I'll pay the difference MS; just include the damn disc!

Quite pathetic isnt it? I'd be great if they at least provided the .iso for download.

 

[imported_djnes]

I'll play devil's advocate for a second. Let's assume Microsoft put both DVDs in the box for all versions (retail). What percentage of the people would use x64, or even have a clue what the differences were? Look at several advanced computing forums, and see how many people still have to ask which version is best for them (and this isn't the average joe community)?

However, I do agree that both should have been included. Mainly because it would let people run x86 now, if they weren't sure, or didn't have a capable computer, and still be holding x64 already for when they are ready for it. I'm sure a large group of people would lose their second discs anyway, prompting MS to make them available for sale either way.

 

[Aluvus]

Originally posted by: Troll4Hire

Originally posted by: pcgeek11
Ultimate Retail comes with both disk. None of the others come with both disk.

Microsoft will ship you the 64 bit disk for shipping cost if you purchase a Retail version 32 bit.

pcgeek11

Talk about billionaire cheapskates. You spend $200+ on an OS and they cannot provide you with a second 10¢ DVD. For petes sake, I'll pay the difference MS; just include the damn disc!

They wanted to avoid endless tech support calls asking why the box had two "identical" discs in it.

Ultimate's target market is probably assumed to be more technically literate, though I don't know how true that is.

 

[corkyg]

And, the normal DVD retail comes with ALL the 32 bit versions or ALL the 64 bit versions. There ain't room enough on the DVD for both! Each version set is about 260 GB.

Also, all of these in ISO format are available for download for Microsoft TechNet subscribers. That is the most cost effective way to get Vista or any Microsoft product including Office Pro 2007, all for the same subscription fee.

 

[ViRGE]

Originally posted by: corkyg
And, the normal DVD retail comes with ALL the 32 bit versions or ALL the 64 bit versions. There ain't room enough on the DVD for both! Each version set is about 260 GB.

You're right and you're wrong at the same time. Each version technically is 2.6GB, but there's also a great amount of overlap. The WinBeta group published a DVD that contained every single version of Vista on 1 DVD(x86 and x64 versions) which was only 4.33gb, which shows that it can be done. The beauty of the Vista installer is that it's an image, the version of Windows is simply a function of what is installed off of that image.

 

[CSMR]

Hi I've heard that my university has only 32-bit vista for sale. Will the same licence work for installing 64 bit vista too if I find a 64 bit disc or image?
Thanks

 

[bsobel]

Originally posted by: ViRGE

Originally posted by: corkyg
And, the normal DVD retail comes with ALL the 32 bit versions or ALL the 64 bit versions. There ain't room enough on the DVD for both! Each version set is about 260 GB.

You're right and you're wrong at the same time. Each version technically is 2.6GB, but there's also a great amount of overlap. The WinBeta group published a DVD that contained every single version of Vista on 1 DVD(x86 and x64 versions) which was only 4.33gb, which shows that it can be done. The beauty of the Vista installer is that it's an image, the version of Windows is simply a function of what is installed off of that image.

I thought the issue was that the final builds overflowed so they had to stop and revert back to two seperate dvd's since they weren't building double layer disks...

 

[ViRGE]

Originally posted by: bsobel

Originally posted by: ViRGE

Originally posted by: corkyg
And, the normal DVD retail comes with ALL the 32 bit versions or ALL the 64 bit versions. There ain't room enough on the DVD for both! Each version set is about 260 GB.

You're right and you're wrong at the same time. Each version technically is 2.6GB, but there's also a great amount of overlap. The WinBeta group published a DVD that contained every single version of Vista on 1 DVD(x86 and x64 versions) which was only 4.33gb, which shows that it can be done. The beauty of the Vista installer is that it's an image, the version of Windows is simply a function of what is installed off of that image.

I thought the issue was that the final builds overflowed so they had to stop and revert back to two seperate dvd's since they weren't building double layer disks...

Perhaps anything later than RTM did. However I'm holding said DVD in my hand right now, and I've used it for all sorts of installations.

 

[corkyg]

That is true - but I got mine from Microsoft Technet as ISO files - each good for ten installs.

Microsoft really is encouraging people to go 64 bit as soon as they can. The day is coming.

 

[mb]

Originally posted by: CSMR
Hi I've heard that my university has only 32-bit vista for sale. Will the same licence work for installing 64 bit vista too if I find a 64 bit disc or image?
Thanks

I am inclined to say yes. I would think that if you buy the 32bit Vista, and their order page accepts your product key, that it will work. But, without buying it first, I don't know how else you can find out. Try Google.

You can go to this page, scroll to the bottom and select your language from the drop down menu.

Keep in mind that you will have to do a clean install going from 32bit --> 64bit.

 

[ViRGE]

Originally posted by: mb

Originally posted by: CSMR
Hi I've heard that my university has only 32-bit vista for sale. Will the same licence work for installing 64 bit vista too if I find a 64 bit disc or image?
Thanks

I am inclined to say yes. I would think that if you buy the 32bit Vista, and their order page accepts your product key, that it will work. But, without buying it first, I don't know how else you can find out. Try Google.

You can go to this page, scroll to the bottom and select your language from the drop down menu.

Keep in mind that you will have to do a clean install going from 32bit --> 64bit.

I can confirm that's a yes. There are no separate keys for Vista x86 and x64, only keys for the different versions. All he'll need to do is get a hold of an x64 disc that includes his version (I'm going to guess Business).

 

[CSMR]

Thanks.
I think it's just the OEM versions then that are 32bit or 64bit only.