Any technical reason for these limitations?


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Why do they not allow the 64 bit kernel to run on macs with older EFIs? I mean, is it a technical limitation that would cause problems or is it just because they dont want to even if they are perfectly capable of running them (which I believe they are, a kernel is just another program that gets loaded into the memory, so if 64 bit apps can be ran, then a 64-bit kernel should work).

As for bootcamp, there is bootcamp for windows x64, but it will only install on mac pros and mbps. Why? I read that the whole EFI thing might be behind this again. Obviously windows x64 WILL run, but there's not much point if certain drivers refuse to be installed.

So what is it? PCs come with BIOS (16-bit and more than 20 years old) and they can run all the x64 stuff just fine. When they claim that os x is the most advanced OS on earth because it does 64-bits and lets you run windows (why would they claim that an OS is good because it lets you NOT use it, is beyond me), they should put a big "take with a spoon of salt" disclaimer.

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i think its due to memory limitations for the older chipsets is the main reason they block 64bit if they are perfectly able to run the 64bit os apple wouldnt of blocked it in snow leopard, also note the old efi can run 64bit programs but they are ran atop of the 32bit kernel like they are now in leopard (so i dont know why youre whining about this, not that theres really any 64bit apps out there...)

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i think its due to memory limitations for the older chipsets is the main reason they block 64bit if they are perfectly able to run the 64bit os apple wouldnt of blocked it in snow leopard, also note the old efi can run 64bit programs but they are ran atop of the 32bit kernel like they are now in leopard (so i dont know why youre whining about this, not that theres really any 64bit apps out there...)

the above is meaningless rambling. Now since apple's hardware is (firmware) is fully under their control, any reason will be arbitrary and due to apple's choices. The Intel platform itself has no such limitations when a Intel64 or AMD64 processor is in use.

Edited by a1ien
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i think its due to memory limitations for the older chipsets is the main reason they block 64bit if they are perfectly able to run the 64bit os apple wouldnt of blocked it in snow leopard, also note the old efi can run 64bit programs but they are ran atop of the 32bit kernel like they are now in leopard (so i dont know why youre whining about this, not that theres really any 64bit apps out there...)

the whole snow leopard is 64 bits

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i think its due to memory limitations for the older chipsets is the main reason they block 64bit if they are perfectly able to run the 64bit os apple wouldnt of blocked it in snow leopard, also note the old efi can run 64bit programs but they are ran atop of the 32bit kernel like they are now in leopard (so i dont know why youre whining about this, not that theres really any 64bit apps out there...)

the whole snow leopard is supposed to be 64 bits. so much for "not really any 64-bit app there" when one of the main selling points of that OS is that it has been built in 64 bits too

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The Intel platform itself has no such limitations when a Intel64 or AMD64 processor is in use.

Intel chips have often had hardware memory limitations, for example the G31 had a limitation of 4GB of memory and G33 8GB, those are hardware limitations - there's no way you can go around them.

The older chipsets have had even more ludicrous limitations.

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the whole snow leopard is supposed to be 64 bits. so much for "not really any 64-bit app there" when one of the main selling points of that OS is that it has been built in 64 bits too

SL is not 64 bit completely. Many 3rd party kexts are still 32 bit and if you switch to a 64bit mode.. well so much for those kexts.

You can consider SL as a stepping stone to a fully 64-bit platform. Linux didn't do it overnight, Windows still hasn't done it and OS X won't do it either.

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I didnt mean every little thing was 64-bit, but, finder, itunes, safari, all that stuff is 64-bit now. Proves my point that there ARE 64 bits apps.

A memory limitation of the chipset has nothing to do with limiting binaries. I mean, the bootcamp for 64 bit windows just refuses to be installed on any non-pro system. But from a company that made an ad saying how great the iphone was because it did copy-paste, I expect anything.

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I didnt mean every little thing was 64-bit, but, finder, itunes, safari, all that stuff is 64-bit now. Proves my point that there ARE 64 bits apps.

A memory limitation of the chipset has nothing to do with limiting binaries. I mean, the bootcamp for 64 bit windows just refuses to be installed on any non-pro system. But from a company that made an ad saying how great the iphone was because it did copy-paste, I expect anything.

Are you sure? I thought I remembered someone here saying iTunes is NOT 64-bit.

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Are you sure? I thought I remembered someone here saying iTunes is NOT 64-bit.

Seems that you're right: All system applications except DVD Player, Front Row, Grapher, and iTunes have been rewritten in 64-bit.

Well, most of it is!

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geez, once third parties start creating 64bit kext's you can manually shift SL into 64bit kernal mode and then it will truly be fully 64bit, in fact you can do it the day its realeased as long as you have no hardware that requires a 32bit kext,

ive got an early 2009 iMac that has

2 2tb external WD drives,

1 1tb WD external drive,

1 500gb WD My book external drive,

1 320gb WD external passport drive,

1 32gb PNY thumb drive,

1 8 gb PNY thumb drive,

an 11 year old lexmark AIO printer (the driver runs under Rosetta emulation since they haven't created a newer one for quite some time)

also a 32' Vizio HDTV connected through a mini-display port to VGA adapter

and EVERYthing works under SL 10a432 in 64bit kernal mode.

what exactly are you worried about if the kernal itself is not in 64bit mode? it can't be that important not to spend $29

Edited by Phantom Helix
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what exactly are you worried about if the kernal itself is not in 64bit mode? it can't be that important not to spend $29

64 is bigger than 32, it's important. You know how it is with the boys:p:p

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SL is not 64 bit completely. Many 3rd party kexts are still 32 bit and if you switch to a 64bit mode.. well so much for those kexts.

QFT. If Apple switched to Snow Leopard's 64-bit kernel by default, all the 32-bit kernel extensions out there (things like VirtualBox and some hardware have them) would stop working.

Are you sure? I thought I remembered someone here saying iTunes is NOT 64-bit.

You're right. It's not. Yet.

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Have you tried the Vista ones?

yes and it goes through but at the end it says that 2 files could not be installed, apple HAL something, then no bootcamp shortcut is installed in the control panel nor isight camera :(

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