What is the difference between a 64 and 32 bit OS?

[Yohhan]

What exactly is meant by 32 bit and 16 bit (etc) operating systems? Is this the same as calling a "system" 32 bits? Thanks.

[Beefy]

I just cut and pasted this from some website:

A bit is binary information. It is either 0 (off) or 1 (on). A 64-bit operating system can move 64 bits of data per clock cycle (1 GHz+ moves billions per second). Going from a 16-bit OS (Windows 3.1) to 32-bit (Windows XP) will make a huge difference on the same machine.

A 64-bit OS is better than 32-bit because:

- It effectively doubles system capabilities if the system is running a 64-bit processor.
- More information can be sent at one time on a 64-bit system than on a 32-bit system. It's great for data-intensive programs.
- You can run a 32-bit app on a 64-bit operating system, much like you can run a 16-bit app on Windows XP.
- Microsoft is enabling developers to build 64-bit functionality within its 32-bit programs. Read an overview of the next-generation code here.