[Info-vax] OpenVMS I64 on IA-64, and x86-64 nomenclature history (was: Re: VMware)

[Stephen Hoffman]

On 2019-12-12 20:52:35 +0000, Grant Taylor said:

> On 12/12/19 12:23 PM, Stephen Hoffman wrote:
>> Microsoft Windows XP 64-bit Edition requires an Itanium,
> 
> Um ... I disagree.

You'd be wrong.  This having had a copy of the cited product.  Might 
still have a DVD copy around from a used-equipment purchase of an 
Itanium workstation, too.

Reposting the link to the cited product name: 
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Windows_XP_editions#Windows_XP_64-Bit_Edition 


> I'm about 98% certain that there is a 64-bit version of Windows XP that 
> runs on 64-bit x86 / x86_64 / x64 / AMD64.

You're thinking of what Microsoft called Microsoft Windows XP 
Professional x64 Edition.

Here's the link to that product: 
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Windows_XP_editions#Windows_XP_Professional_x64_Edition 


Which does (or did?) boot on x86-64 systems.

This is not what Microsoft calls Microsoft Windows XP 64-bit Edition.

Which requires Itanium.

Confusing?  Sure.

The Microsoft tech writer that wrote or that edited that section of 
text that Simon previously cited was probably confused, too.

But Itanium is at its last hardware generation, OpenVMS I64 will almost 
certainly remain the product name for the Itanium port of OpenVMS, and 
the folks at VSI will decide upon a product name for the OpenVMS x86-64 
port.
And Microsoft has never been known as a bastion of product naming 
clarity, nor of product design clarity, nor of product licensing and 
pricing clarity.  Though they do have some good ideas to borrow, and 
some bad ideas to avoid.




-- 
Pure Personal Opinion | HoffmanLabs LLC