What is a 64-bit processor and why is Apple so excited about it?

[Hatha Sunahara]

I can envision the day when your smart phone IS your desktop computer. All you would need is a monitor/keyboard combination with a docking device fitted to either of them, and voila--your phone is now your desktop computer. Printer and other peripherals (if not wireless) would plug into the docking device. I can also envision Internet cafes offering customers such docking stations if they need them. Also big corporations having these things in cubicles, and employees coming in to work and plugging their smart phones into them. There won't be 'desktop' computers in our future. It's not a mystery why Apple is the worlds most valuable big corporation.


http://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/gadgets-and-tech/features/iphone-5s-what-is-a-64bit-processor-and-why-is-apple-so-excited-about-it-8812854.html



The launch of Apple’s new iPhone 5S focused heavily on the handset’s new 64-bit A7 processor, with the company boasting that this new chip would offer “desktop-class architecture” to users

Just days later rival phone-maker Samsung have jumped onto the 64-bit bandwagon and declared that they had plans to use similar chips in the future.
In an interview with the Korea Times (http://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/news/tech/2013/09/133_142604.html) newspaper Samsung’s co-chief executive Shin Jong-kyun said the update would not be “in the shortest time, but yes, our next smartphones will have 64-bit processing functionality."
However, despite all this interest most of us are still scratching our heads wondering what a 64-bit processor is and why we might want it in our phones. The quick answer to the first question is to agree with Apple: it is indeed a faster sort of processor (see below for a more detailed explanation), but puzzling out the second question is more complicated.
The general consensus is that by bumping up the iPhone’s processor to 64-bits Apple is making a play for the future. Benefits for the average user will initially be minimal and mainly involve keeping iOS 7 (the latest version of Apple’s mobile operating system) up to speed, but in the future, a 64-bit chip will also help bring the operating systems on Apple’s tablets and mobiles closer to the PC experience. But let’s begin with the bits.

(more (http://http://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/gadgets-and-tech/features/iphone-5s-what-is-a-64bit-processor-and-why-is-apple-so-excited-about-it-8812854.html))



Hatha

[Ares]

64-bit processors just allow the processor to handle more data at a time. The progression went from 8-bit, 16-bit, 32-bit and now 64-bit.

The 64-bit Architecture has been a mainstay with desktops and laptops for almost a decade now. Smartphones are now going to that route which will allow for more memory. With 32-bit you have a 4GB memory limitation, with 64-bit it's somewhere in the ballpark of exabytes.

However, you would think you'd get a performance boost, but you really don't. It just means it can process larger bits of data. That's it. Clock frequency, memory bandwidth are key components that bottleneck processing.

So it's really marketing fluff... Look we're using a 64-bit chip (most of the population will equate that to mean faster and buy into Apple's gimmick, same with Samsung.) Buy our stuff over our competitors.

[gunDriller]

64-bit processors just allow the processor to handle more data at a time. The progression went from 8-bit, 16-bit, 32-bit and now 64-bit.

The 64-bit Architecture has been a mainstay with desktops and laptops for almost a decade now. Smartphones are now going to that route which will allow for more memory. With 32-bit you have a 4GB memory limitation, with 64-bit it's somewhere in the ballpark of exabytes.


it's faster than the 400 Hz Pentium 2 I bought in 1998.

perhaps comparable to the 'Conroe' 2.67 GHz dual core, in terms of speed. that was vintage 2006, when a workstation might have 4 GB RAM, then 8 GB in 2008 - vs. 32 GB in 2012.

the phones are just sort of tracking computer workstations.


better make sure the phone doesn't get stolen if it has all one's data on it.

[Dogman]

it's faster than the 400 Hz Pentium 2 I bought in 1998.

perhaps comparable to the 'Conroe' 2.67 GHz dual core, in terms of speed. that was vintage 2006, when a workstation might have 4 GB RAM, then 8 GB in 2008 - vs. 32 GB in 2012.

the phones are just sort of tracking computer workstations.


better make sure the phone doesn't get stolen if it has all one's data on it.

I have seen the gambit of bits so far as processing goes over the years as stated and agree with the memory limitations of 32. And in time (if we do not destroy our selfs as a world civilization) 128 bit machines (that has to be a major programmers nightmare) parallel processing or better with all of the above probably will be needed.

I am not really sure how many code writers are really fully using 64 bit capability and not just porting 32.

[gunDriller]

I have seen the gambit of bits so far as processing goes over the years as stated and agree with the memory limitations of 32. And in time (if we do not destroy our selfs as a world civilization) 128 bit machines (that has to be a major programmers nightmare) parallel processing or better with all of the above probably will be needed.

I am not really sure how many code writers are really fully using 64 bit capability and not just porting 32.

one of the reasons the NSA needed those backdoors. with almost everyone using computers that are capable (with the right software) of being un-crackable (in this lifetime), they have known for many years that they would need some kind of advantage.

[Dogman]

one of the reasons the NSA needed those backdoors. with almost everyone using computers that are capable (with the right software) of being un-crackable (in this lifetime), they have known for many years that they would need some kind of advantage.


I have not a clue,

But do i care..yes and no..

[Uncle Salty]

Apple would get excited about its own farts.

[Silver Rocket Bitches!]

A 64 bit processor just means that each instruction the processor can process is 64 bits in length.

The easiest way to think about this is to imagine a 1 bit processor. It either processes a 1 or a 0. 1 is on, 0 is off. Easy. That's two possible values.

However, when you add a bit to make it 2 bits, now there are four values possible. 00, 01, 10, 11.

Make it 3 bits and now there are eight values possible. 4 bits leads to 16 possible combinations.

You can now see that the more bits you add on, the more possibilities and combinations there are.

Now think about 64 bits. That's 18,446,744,073,709,551,616 different combinations. That's a lot of different commands that a processor can run through.

Very powerful stuff.

[JohnQPublic]

Most ARM processors today are still 32 bit. I have been waiting for 64 bit to be used. No big deal really, but it means the potential for tablets/phones etc. to become really powerful computing machines is here.

[Hatha Sunahara]

Try to imagine shrinking your desktop computer down to the size of an iPhone, or something you can carry in your pocket--that has all the power of your desktop.

I don't know about you, but I keep some personal information on my HDD, and it never leaves my house. If I were to have a phone sized main computer that I carry with me, I would want some easy way to keep my data encrypted so that if I part with the hardware, or misplace it or just lose it, I would face a minimal security risk--such as identity theft.

I think a lot more people would buy phone sized computers if they came with a way to defeat spies and data thieves. I think there is some real money to be made in the software market by developers who can come up with encryption schemes that keep the government and corporations like google out of your data.


Hatha

[Hypertiger]

Take a byte of the forbidden fruit and acquire knowledge of 1 and 0.

GOD and Satan.

Or Jobs and Gates.

Necessity is said to be the mother of invention or want.

Invent marketing.

The use it to be the mother of necessity.

After you make people think wants are needs.

Both Jobs and Gates take more than they give from all and everything.

But one is considered God and the other Satan or zero.

But Satan does depend upon GOD for power.

Truth can not be fooled by lies so marketing does not work on GOD.

The lesser of two evils is considers good to those ignorant of Truth.

Truth is considered good.

But Truth...the word is the most powerful lie you believe is truth that all the other lies derive their power from.

Computers are garbage in garbage out.

People employ absolute self indulgent reason to solve the problem of existence.

Absolute capitalism or taking more power than you give to sustain existence.

Or chopping down trees faster than they regrow to sustain existence.

Which is what all and everything in the Universe does to sustain existence.

All and everything is trying to take more power than they give from all and everything while all and everything is powered by Truth.

A word invented to try and describe or rationalize the irrationality of infinity.

Or the infinite and indestructible power that all that is finite and fragile capitalizes upon to sustain all that is finite and fragile for as long as possible.

There is never a lasting victory over lies while the war against truth has no exit strategy and always ends in defeat.

All the cells in your body are zeros that want to be ones and they take more power from GOD than they give and eventually they demand the power of GOD and are refused and they die.

Eventually your body is annihilated.

Because it is composed out of what must not matter.

But if matter can not be created or destroyed...

That means all and everything is anti matter...the universe is the smoke caused by The battle between Satan and GOD.

Or between lies and Truth.

The Universe is a lie you believe is Truth...Satan pretending to be GOD.

Trying to amass enough power from GOD to defeat GOD and obtain absolute power over all and everything.

GOD or something that matters says no to the demand for yes from something that does not matter.

You may think what you see matters...but not for very long....eventually it does not and you forget what matters.

GOD supplies you with what you need...not what you want.

My eyes need to see what they need.

Your eyes see what they want.

They will only see what you want when what you need and want are same.

And they can not do that until you know truth.

Ignorance of truth is the root of all evil.

On the world wide web of lies ruled by the horror of babble on.