Microsoft releases Windows XP 64-bit beta edition

Microsoft announced the beta availability of a native 64-bit version of its Windows XP operating system designed to support 64-Bit Extended Systems, including platforms based on AMD64 technology from AMD. Microsoft made the announcement at AMD’s launch of the AMD Athlon 64 processor in San Francisco. 

The updated 64-bit operating system provides superior performance needed by consumers and business customers for the next generation of high-performance desktop computing, including gaming, digital content creation and video editing.

A key benefit of the updated operating system is the Microsoft Windows on Windows 64 (WOW64) technology, which will enable customers who currently have Windows XP-compatible 32-bit applications to run those applications on the 64-bit operating system. The WOW64 architecture takes advantage of the AMD64 architecture to enable compatibility with 32-bit applications without a loss of performance in nearly all cases, helping protect customers’ current and future technology investments.

“We’ve heard from our customers that, until now, the inability to efficiently run 32-bit applications on 64-bit systems has been a major barrier to investing in 64-bit technologies,” says Chris Jones, Corporate VP for the Windows Client Division at Microsoft. 

The beta version of Windows XP 64-Bit Edition for 64-Bit Extended Systems is available to MSDN subscribers, and a final release is expected to be available in the first half of 2004. Windows Server 2003 for 64-Bit Extended Systems also is available in beta with final release expected in the first half of 2004.

SAN FRANCISCO