I mas wondering about the pros and cons of installing windows 64 bit edition compared to the normal 32 bit edition. I am getting a new processor/mobo etc and was wondering what would be best to install. I use the computer mostly for games and computer programming.

Take a look around and do some reading. There should be plenty of articles on XP 64 around with comparisons to the 32 bit version. Also, have a look at what 64 bit software is available. From what I'm told, it isn't worth installing it. But I haven't done any research myself so don't take my word for it.

Sooner or later most of us will make that transition, unfortunately the 64bit terrain is not quite level yet. See the link below. http://www.newegg.com/Product/CustratingReview.asp?item=N82E16837102034 I agree; computing.net does need an edit button.

As for 64-bit operating systems and software, many are in the works, but nothing is in final version. Microsoft has released a beta version of Windows XP that takes advantage of the 64 bit technology, but there are still issues. The problem is when you run 32-bit software programs in the environment of a 64-bit operating system. Many programs won’t work properly, such as Adobe Acrobat and Windows Media Player, for example. Another issue is RAM. You really need about 4 GB of RAM to take full advantage of the capabilities offered by a 64-bit processor, while most PC owners have less than 1 GB under their computer’s hood.