Short answer- they can access more memory and more of it at a time.
Some os's let you run 32bit apps.  In linux it's irrelevant since it's
compiled for your platform.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/64bit


On Mon, May 10, 2010 at 22:40, mike Enriquez <mylinux@cox.net> wrote:

> I would like to hear what every one thinks about 64 bit computers. What
> makes a 64bit computer? Is it just the OS and or does a 64bit computer need
> a specific kind of motherboard and cpu? Any thing else I have left out?
> I am assuming that applications have to run in 64bit mode or they don't run
> at all.
>
> I really would appreciate your view points.
>
> Thanks
>
> Mike Enriquez
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