32 or 64 bit?

[jahabdank]

This is a horribly basic question but IMHO the Ubuntu download page is confusing.

I have a 32bit 2.6GHz duo core 4Gb of ram Dell Laptop. 3 years ago it actually was a beast. Now I want to install ubuntu, which ISO should I use?



The download page gives a silly looking choice:

• 64bit
• 32 bit for machines with less than 2GB of RAM

So which one I should use? I have 32bit laptop, but I want to use the full 4GB or ram...

Thanks in advance,
Josef

[mörgæs]

Are you sure about this, three years old and only 32 bit?
Which Dell are we talking about?

[jahabdank]

Ok, my bad, it actually is 5 year old. It was custom made Vostro1700, shipped with Windows 32bit.

Having said, I think I actually was wrong, it might be it is 64bit. I have looked at the processor specs:
http://ark.intel.com/products/31729/...Hz-800-MHz-FSB

and it says:
Instruction Set: 64-bit

for all those years, I did not know that I have 64bit machine. It only was shipped with Windows which was 32bit, but it actually was 64bit machine.

Sorry for confusing you all, I assume you must get silly thread requests like that all the time.

[mörgæs]

It's all right - now your turn to answer some of the questions