REDMOND, Wash., April 25 (UPI) -- Software giant Microsoft, of Redmond, Wash., unveiled Monday its long-awaited high-powered 64-bit Windows platform.
Microsoft Chairman Bill Gates unveiled the new Windows at a Microsoft conference in Seattle Monday.
The new Windows editions, Microsoft Windows XP Professional x64 and Windows Server 2003 x64, code-named "Longhorn," will run on Intel Pentium chips, will cost the same as regular, 32-bit Windows, and will be able to better handle memory-hungry programs such as video. The new platform will also be more secure than the current Windows.
Existing 32-bit programs will be able to run on the new processors.
"This is a time of profound change in our industry. The move from 32-bit to 64-bit computing offers a dramatic improvement in performance and reliability, enabling people to use their PCs in exciting new ways at work and at home," Gates said. "The introduction of Windows x64 editions, combined with a wide range of 64-bit applications and hardware, will help launch 64-bit computing into the mainstream."
A beta version of Longhorn will be available by summer.
