The global picture from Microsoft, Michel, in 2015: 92% of the platform were 64bit. Maybe you are surrounded by 32bit people, not my case, maybe you are in 32bit bubble in the world, but in every 4 years, millions of desktop/notebooks are “upgraded”, and soon it’ll change even where you live. 32bit is not negligible right now, but it’s going to, many companies are already ditching it, more will follow. https://twitter.com/GabeAul/status/553329510611832833
What is holding MS? The current Win10 ARM edition x86 emulator is 32bit. This is a new product, and they expect a huge win32 software store to support its lifespan while its x64 counterpart gets ready (or pure, native ARM x64 takes over). But for those not targeting this market, it’s already, kind of, dead.
So, from a market perspective, 64bit first, 32bit as option. I’ll not ditch 32bit until 2020, but I’ll will.
Key is to know which market you address. I never create software for myself, but for end users customers. If there is a chance one is using a 32 bit platform, I won’t release a 64 bit only app.
None of my apps require 64 bit memory addressing anyway.
[quote=377213:@Michel Bujardet]Key is to know which market you address. I never create software for myself, but for end users customers. If there is a chance one is using a 32 bit platform, I won’t release a 64 bit only app.
None of my apps require 64 bit memory addressing anyway.
Your mileage may vary.[/quote]
THIS. I mean, yes, 98.2% of Steam is 64-bit, but with my luck i’ll lose out on a few customers still running old 32-bit systems if I go 64-bit. Plus obviously Windows 64-bit debugging has to be in and stable before I consider it anyway.
A good example is the CDs I sell on Amazon in honorable quantities. Customers do not expect to have to fill an entire questionnaire before being able to use the app. They order, got delivered, slide the CD in the reader, and expect everything to be automatic.
If I start requiring this or that, they will flame the app so fast and so hard with bad reviews, it will be pulled up my Amazon right away.
It is far easier to go 64 bit only, if you do custom development.
It’s the way you manage your business. Even having hundreds of customers using 32bit, some companies ditched it because they considered a pain to maintain both versions and told them “buy something from this decade, please, and join the other millions”.
92.8% MS numbers, not Steam metrics. Gabriel Aul, Vice President, WDG Engineering Systems team. Former lead for the #WindowsInsiders program.
I am talking about the value of migrating to 64bit ASAP, not XOJO flaws, but in this context, it’s a fair point, but I am sure they are aware and doing their job to deliver it.
[quote=377217:@Rick Araujo]It’s the way you manage your business. Even having hundreds of customers using 32bit, some companies ditched it because they considered a pain to maintain both versions and told them “buy something from this decade, please, and join the other millions”.
What’s a CD?[/quote]
Contrary to some snobbish engineers, I sell real apps to real people. And I don’t despise my own customers.
Be careful about cherry picking data, you would make a good politician
The exact quote was:
“Very close. 92.8% of systems with a BIOS age < 1yr are 64bit.”
Don’t forget about all the other systems out there that aren’t < 1 yr old. As Gabriel quoted “Still 100s of millions of existing 32bit PCs”
Also, steam is not a good metric for worldwide PC use as “gamers” tend to go for the best hardware/software they can get so will naturally install 64bit over 32bit given the option.
“Very close. 92.8% of systems with a BIOS age < 1yr are 64bit.”[/quote]
In 2015.
And we are in 2018. If It were 80% (which is not) that year, the argument would still valid.
The last 32bit processor I do remember was a Pentium 4, I don’t know the year.
I think if the target is macOS, is better to only work with 64bit.
If target windows, is safe to build 32bit app unless your app needs 64bit (or your client needs 64bit).
Windows 10 still available as 32bit.
[quote]IMHO, it seems like Apple wants to get OSX to where it will no longer support 32-bit apps at all (eventually) whereas Microsoft is content to support the 32-bit compatibility layer long term.
[/quote]
And why is that? Because there are quad-zillions of lines of VB code and 32-bit line of business apps out there which will break the upgrade/replacement cycle unless they are allowed to live on in a 32-bit world. On the other ahdn, high-end apps like video editing or statistical packages and big servers need 64-bit address spaces. Unless yours is like those I wouldn’t bother. Compiling to 64 bit will only limit the addressable market even if it were only 10% so one must do 32-bit compile in any case.
Apple is probably going to break 32 bit compatibility very soon, just like Linux did not long ago, but knowing Microsoft, the excellent support of 32 bit applications under Windows 64 bit will probably continue for a good deal of time longer.
As often, I’m not opining, just showing facts, accepting them is an option.
I’m not asking anyone to follow nothing, just presenting data, real data. Do whatever you want.
Hi,
still did not switch to 64 bits for build due to currency type.
[quote]Another issue for 64-bit builds is the Currency data type. According to long time Xojo developer Kem Tekinay using Currency is not recommended in 64-bit builds due to comparison issues.
[/quote]
From this article https://www.bkeeneybriefs.com/2017/12/xojo-2017-r3/ But I don’t know if it’s applicable or not
Until MS stops 32-bit apps from running I would still build a 32-bit for Windows as, unless your app requires more RAM than a 32-bit app can use, there is no reason to build a 64-bit app. There will be a time just like when MS ditched the 16-bit compatibility layer. Windows user shouldn’t complain about the bit-ness of an app as the 64-bit versions of Windows XP, Vista, 7, 8, 8.1 and 10 all support running 32-bit code.
On macOS there is no choice, you need to build a 64-bit if you want to submit it to the App Store as Apple will stop accepting 32-bit apps (if it hasn’t already). Maybe not the macOS 10.14 but 10.15 will almost certainly completely drop 32-bit support just as iOS 11 did.
My main OS is Mac and out of curiosity I checked how many 32-bit apps I have installed and even Adobe is still releasing 32-bit apps such as their installers. Even Apple’s own DVD Player (on 10.13.3 btw) is 32-bits. Even Roxio’s Toast 16 Pro is still 32-bit.
It is all a matter of market opportunity. There is no one size fit all. Sure, eventually 32 bit will go the way of Windows 98, but it may still be premature for some markets.
