[Python-Dev] Fwd: Download Page - AMD64 (original) (raw)

Scott Dial scott+python-dev at scottdial.com
Wed Jan 13 19:14:21 CET 2010

On 1/13/2010 9:04 AM, Nick Coghlan wrote:

As Windows doesn't run on non-x86 architectures, their naming is generally just Windows (32 bit) and Windows (64 bit).

That is not correct. There are IA-64 versions of Window Server.

From [1]: "Backward compatibility is a key point differentiating Itanium from x86 and x64 architectures."

So to echo what Michael said, the Microsoft nomenclature is "x64" regardless of yours and Martin's objections to that name. Nobody who uses Windows would be confused by "x64" since that is the Microsoft naming scheme. And, anyone using IA64 will expect to see "IA64" and not "x64", and furthermore anyone using IA64 is likely aware of what processor they are using (being as there are only Windows Server editions for IA64) and the difference between "IA64" and "x64".

I don't think an end-user facing page is a great place for pedantic and wordy defenses of defying the Microsoft-blessed naming scheme.

Linux, on the other hand, can run on multiple 64 bit architectures, so being more specific and using the official AMD64 nomenclature makes sense.

This has no relevance to the conversation since there are no Linux binaries being distributed. The conversation on the expectations of Windows end-users, who are the target of the download links.

[1] http://www.microsoft.com/servers/64bit/itanium/overview.mspx

-- Scott Dial scott at scottdial.com scodial at cs.indiana.edu

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