In the Unix world, there were a few possible arrangements for the sizes of integers and pointers for 64-bit platforms. The two mostly widely used were ILP64 (actually, only a very few examples of this; Cray was one such) and LP64 (for almost everything else). The acronynms come from 'int, long, pointers are 64-bit' and 'long, pointers are 64-bit'.
Type ILP64 LP64 LLP64
char 8 8 8
short 16 16 16
int 64 32 32
long 64 64 32
long long 64 64 64
pointer 64 64 64
The ILP64 system was abandoned in favour of LP64 (that is, almost all later entrants used LP64, based on the recommendations of the Aspen group; only systems with a long heritage of 64-bit operation use a different scheme). All modern 64-bit Unix systems use LP64. MacOS X and Linux are both modern 64-bit systems.
Microsoft uses a different scheme for transitioning to 64-bit: LLP64 ('long long, pointers are 64-bit'). This has the merit of meaning that 32-bit software can be recompiled without change. It has the demerit of being different from what everyone else does, and also requires code to be revised to exploit 64-bit capacities. There always was revision necessary; it was just a different set of revisions from the ones needed on Unix platforms.
If you design your software around platform-neutral integer type names, probably using the C99 <inttypes.h> header, which, when the types are available on the platform, provides, in signed (listed) and unsigned (not listed; prefix with 'u'):
int8_t - 8-bit integersint16_t - 16-bit integersint32_t - 32-bit integersint64_t - 64-bit integersuintptr_t - unsigned integers big enough to hold pointersintmax_t - biggest size of integer on the platform (might be larger than int64_t)
You can then code your application using these types where it matters, and being very careful with system types (which might be different). There is an intptr_t type - a signed integer type for holding pointers; you should plan on not using it, or only using it as the result of a subtraction of two uintptr_t values (ptrdiff_t).
But, as the question points out (in disbelief), there are different systems for the sizes of the integer data types on 64-bit machines. Get used to it; the world isn't going to change.
Best Answer
x58 chipset and i7 processing unit, Windows 7 RC x64, I had a lot of issues with programs locking up and crashing (not responding, invoking windows "Ill find out whats wrong! .. not) when you try to close the form. It kills development time.
Especially visual studio 2008, countless crashes and lock ups or delays. It does run good most of the time, but it has its moments.
My experience is that its not 100% solid.
I thought that it was weird, because its built in the Vista SP1 core, and my hardware runs Vista very solid, no hitches -ever-.
And yes, it was a fresh install of Win7, not an upgrade. I'm installing Server R2 though, so I'll see how that works out! :D
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I couldn't put my finger on it. Under Vista SP1/SP2 it runs rock solid. The video drivers worked great however for my GTX295, motherboard BIOS is up to date.
I don't think that the problem was driver related per-se, but I can't say. The symptoms purely came across as a software related issue with the OS and how it handles the Windows.
The Event logs are not a help, because a generic form crashing doesn't produce any real detail for me to burn through and say "Ah ha!".
I must say though, it was mostly Visual Studio and forms run under the debugging host process. Anything else was pretty okay, so it could be more or less just a compatibility issue
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After a fresh install of Windows Server R2 RC, after the initial installation and a driver install for a wireless adapter, the system fails to boot up properly (or atleast "detects" an problem), so you have to manually tell it to boot Windows up normally, which works.
After doing some Windows updates, same thing, but this time the OS fails even when trying to boot up normally and just does a reboot (probably a blue screen, but surpressed by my BIOS)
My experience with R2 was blazingly fast, both in performance and a drop in satisfaction and warm fuzzies about it working good
It seems that either way you go, on the newest of new hardware, it has its issues. Bummer.