Firefox 64-bit development quietly ended for Windows

[p3ngwin]

I agree with some of the above posters, It's time to clear out 32bit and move on. I'm a programmer for a large 3D CAD company and we have been pushing the use of 64bit for ages. Any programmer worth his salt should be able to make any code work in 64bit.

The 64bit machines should last quite a long time, But one can never say for sure how soon 128bit will be needed or if something different will come along before that, but I say the sooner everything is 64bit the better.

If making Firefox 64bit breaks a load of plugins, then those plugins need reworking, If the programmers of them can't be bothered then the plugin will die, and rightly so.

Viva la revolucion

totally agreed.

 

[David40]

I think the competence of the coders is the problem with Firefox. They can't even get the 32 bit right. I have NEVER experienced a stable version and for the last 4 years they have not been able to fix a problem that causes ones computer to freeze if you try to access the menus. This has been a serious problem effecting thousands of users over many versions and patches, and they can't figure out a fix for it.

 

[Guest]

> MrAnderson said:
> We really need to just push everyone off 32 bit so that developers can focus on
> 1 code base. And the people that are actually using 64 bit and know it can have
> some peace. Microsoft should stop offering 32 bit Windows (We had XP, Vista, 7,
> now 8). 64 bit runs 32 bit code, and it will let all the driver manufacturers hurry up
> and support 64 bit since 32 will bite the dust... Geez... Are we there yet! No?!
> What's the hold up?!

Sure, are you planning to buy me all new machines, just so we don't offend your tender sensibilities?

 

[p3ngwin]

"Sure, are you planning to buy me all new machines, just so we don't offend your tender sensibilities?"

No one owes you new hardware. For the same reason I don't come along and ask you to compensate me for the potential lost in my hardware because you won't upgrade.

You're free to use your old software, or try and run modern software on your old hardware, but don't complain when eventually software evolves requiring you to upgrade your machines.

Just as we moved from 8bit, and 16bit, were slowly moving from 32bit too. You'll eventually have to upgrade your hardware, it's inevitable.

No one one owes you anything, you either adapt or die.

 

[cliffordcooley]

> MrAnderson said:
> We really need to just push everyone off 32 bit so that developers can focus on
> 1 code base. And the people that are actually using 64 bit and know it can have
> some peace. Microsoft should stop offering 32 bit Windows (We had XP, Vista, 7,
> now 8). 64 bit runs 32 bit code, and it will let all the driver manufacturers hurry up
> and support 64 bit since 32 will bite the dust... Geez... Are we there yet! No?!
> What's the hold up?!

Sure, are you planning to buy me all new machines, just so we don't offend your tender sensibilities?

64-bit is an extension to 32-bit.

Rephrasing means there is no way to strictly code for 64-bit, because the code for 32-bit will always be present.

x86-64

Because the full x86 16-bit and 32-bit instruction sets remain implemented in hardware without any intervening emulation, existing x86 executables run with no compatibility or performance penalties,[2] whereas existing applications that are recoded to take advantage of new features of the processor design may achieve performance improvements.

Windows 32-bit has always included an emulator mode for 16-bit applications. Since the introduction to Windows 64-bit, the 16-bit emulation was sacrificed with the introduction of 32-bit emulation mode. It wasn't because 16-bit was no longer supported, it was because 16-bit was deemed no longer needed and removed. With this said I believe Microsoft will continue to support one emulation mode for backward compatibility.

It's not Microsoft's position to force software creator to support the newest OS bit release, it is our position as consumers. I feel as if I did my part when Windows 7 came out, by preordering Windows 7 64-bit upgrade. I have been patiently waiting for 64-bit software that has since been released as well as future releases. There is no reason to drop backward compatibility, especially when our hardware still fully supports 16-bit. With all this said; I do hope the next 128-bit architecture drops all this dead weight from the past, and moves forward without backward compatibility.