In how many years will i386-32 be obsolete and unsupported?

[Jeroen Vernooij]

I'm using a dell notebook bit a 32bits Intel processor, which is one of the last processors introduced with only 32-bits instruction-set. I'm using it already a year, but plan on using it 5 more years or so (with some extra memory and a solid-state-drive) so I hope to still run Ubuntu on it;
but will 32 bits then still be supported?

How long do you think untill 32 bits is completely phased out, as right now there are only a few binaries (eg flash; arch-independend alternatives are being developed) that aren't working on i386-64.

Problem is, I got socket479 and socketP is already available, so if I want to upgrade, I better be fast :o

[viciouslime]

I wouldn't worry about upgrading, the computer world moves way too fast to worry about that. Even if you bought THE most up-to-date technology money can buy today, at least one component, be that memory, cpu, graphics card, etc. would be out of date in less than a week for certain.

32bit's days aren't numbered yet. There simply aren't enough advantages to 64bit, yet. I would think it will be at least 5years, before 64bit has a greater share than 32bit. Probably 10-15years or more before it disappears completely.

[brim4brim]

I'd say it'll be 10 years before it even gets the majority market share TBH. Most people never really upgrade their computers. Only techy people upgrade. Other people will use their computers for as long as they are stable.

[maniacmusician]

I disagree. A lot of people are buying new computers with the advent of Vista, and most (if not all) of those computers come with a 64-bit processor. Now it's just a matter of OS manufacturers like Apple, MS, and the various Linux distros, getting their act together and providing better 64-bit support.

However, it will certainly be at least 3 or 4 years before that effort gets going, and it'll probably peak in 6-7 years, and 32-bit support will start dropping off then.

[JAPrufrock]

How long do you think untill 32 bits is completely phased out, as right now there are only a few binaries (eg flash; arch-independend alternatives are being developed) that aren't working on i386-64.



20-30 years?

see this article (http://www.catb.org/~esr/writings/world-domination/world-domination-201.html).

[DoctorMO]

What ever the date it really doesn't matter since if there is demand for it, support will be there. and do you think they'll just trow out all that 32bit work from the kernel and the gcc compiler?

nah, you've got another 50 years of code level support just from legacy.

[samjh]

64-bit will probably become mainstream in about 5 years. But 32-bit will continue to be supported for at least another 10 years.

Just IMHO, of course.