Look, it’s really not that hard.

Programs are still in the same place, in %ProgramFiles%, unless you need the 32 bit version, which is in %ProgramFiles(x86)%, except on a 32 bit machine, where it’s still %ProgramFiles%.

All those dll’s are still in %SystemRoot%\System32, just now they’re 64 bit. The 32 bit ones, they’re in %SystemRoot%\SysWOW64. You’re with me so far, right? Oh, and the 16 bit ones are still in %SystemRoot%\System – moving them would just be weird.

Registry settings are in HKLM\Software, unless you mean the settings for the 32 bit programs, in which case they’re in HKLM\Software\Wow6432Node.

So the rule is easy: stick to the 64 bit versions of apps, and you’ll be fine. Apps without a 64 bit version are pretty obscure anyway, Office and Visual Studio for example[1]. Oh, and stick to the 32 bit version of Internet Explorer (which is the default) if you want any of your add-ins to work. The ‘default’ shortcut for everything else is the 64 bit version. Having two shortcuts to everything can be a bit confusing, so sometimes (cmd.exe) there’s only the one (64 bit) and you’ll have to find the other yourself (back in SysWOW64, of course). And don’t forget to ‘Set-ExecutionPolicy RemoteSigned’ in both your 64 bit and 32 bit PowerShell environments.

Always install 64 bit versions of drivers and stuff, unless there isn’t one (MSDORA, JET), or you need both the 32 bit and 64 bit versions (eg to use SMO / SqlCmd from a 32 bit process like MSBuild). Just don’t do this if the 64 bit installer already installs the 32 bit version for you (like Sql Native Client).

Anything with a ‘32’ is for 64 bit. Anything with a ‘64’ is for 32 bit. Except %ProgramW6432% which is the 64 bit ProgramFiles folder in all cases (well, except on a 32 bit machine). Oh and the .net framework didn’t actually move either, but now it has a Framework64 sibling.

I really don’t understand how people get so worked up over it all.

[1] Ok, so there is a 64 bit version of Office 2010, but given the installer pretty much tells you not to install it, it doesn’t count.

Via Cup(Of T).

From the andLinux site:

andLinux is a complete Ubuntu Linux system running seamlessly in Windows 2000 based systems (2000, XP, 2003, Vista [32-bit only]). This project was started for Dynamism for the GP2X community, but its userbase far exceeds its original design. andLinux is free and will remain so, but donations are greatly needed.

andLinux uses CoLinux as its core which is confusing for many people. CoLinux is a port of the Linux kernel to Windows. Although this technology is like VMware or Virtual PC, CoLinux differs itself by being more of a merger of Windows and the Linux kernel and not an emulated PC, making it more efficient. Xming is used as X server and PulseAudio as sound server.

andLinux is not just for development and runs almost all Linux applications without modification.

Click here for a sample screenshot.

Also, an excellent article on the subject from Lifehacker.

MS-DOS 5: The Revolution Begins.

Winsongs 95: Order yours now!

PC vs. MAC: Southpark Style.

The beautfy of the Macintosh: MAC ad style.

Vista: Oh the vista . . .

. . . Bloatware.

Of course my all time favorite . . . stand aside, eh hem let the PENGUIN THROUGH PLEASE . . . 5, 4, 3, 2, and the most innovative one yet, drumroll please . . . UBUNTU (the GUI shown is available right now and is known as Compiz Fusion running with GNOME on Ubuntu.)

May 30, 2007 Steve Jobs and Bill Gates both together on stage for a lengthy interview about their history, regrets and discussions about their products and respective companies. I found the interview very interesting, although I thought they were a bit tame given the legendary tales that precede them. It’s roughly 90 minutes broken into 7 parts, with some introductory videos as well. Click here for the main page outlining the interview. The transcript can be found here.

All Things Digital is a production of the Wall Street Journal It is a web site devoted to news, analysis and opinion on technology, the Internet and media.

This is nothing short of an astounding piece of technology. Presented at the TED conference (you can visit TED’s main site here), Photosynth takes a large collection of photos of a place or an object, analyzes them for similarities, and then displays the photos in a reconstructed three-dimensional space, showing you how each one relates to the next.

The company (originally called Seadragon) is a recent acquisition for Microsoft (about a year ago). They now live in MS Labs. It could leverage the web in a way never done before to bring the collective into play to benefit one and all.

This technology will potentially revolutionize our desktops (making desktop resolution meaningless!) the way we search, the way we think and interact with one another: simply astounding!

Enjoy the video below, then check out the details at Microsoft Live Labs. They also offer some movies that you can download to experience this amazing technology. They have also recently (August 6, 2007) with NASA’s help, created a virtual tour of the Space Shuttle Endeavour.