Forget the Y2K bug.

On January 19, 2038 a lot of websites and programs WILL cease to work if they are not updated before then. The timestamp function will no longer work because the highest number a text field can hold in a 32 bit system is 2147483647. The timestamp right now is 1226546382.

From Unixtimestamp.com

If computers are all 64 bit by then then we'll postpone the problem out of our lifetimes.

Year 2038 problem - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The new laptop I bought is a 64 bit...but a lot of programs are not equipped to handle it yet. I installed iTunes and it crashed the whole computer. Had to do a restore.

Yeah 64 bit doesn't work with everything yet. It's annoying because at some point we are all going to have to make the jump. It would be nice if programs would come out in 64 bit versions before then. They don't want to though because there are less people who would buy them currently. It's a catch 22.

64 bit will also run a lot faster and more efficiently. A lot of new computers are 64 bit capable (the cpu) but operating systems are still being released in 32 bit. The next big upgrade I do to my PC will include a jump to a 64 bit OS. My processor is 64 bit so I'm fine there...

Yeah, this is a 64 bit OS. I'm finding a lot of issues with current programs out there that do not support it yet. Glad I have an additional PC to use for things like iTunes so that I can update my iPod. I really had no clue why it crashed until one of my internet friends explained that I had a 64 bit OS. :p

That being said, it does run exceptionally fast and I'm loving it besides the bugs.

Oh, isn't that the same magic number when we broke the rep system here?

What does it take to update a system? I remember the Y2K conversion took a lot. I was working at a bank that time and we had a whole team just focusing on the Y2K correction of all our financial systems.

Meh, I've still got 29 years to update my computer! :p

That was one thing I was checking into as I get my next pc because I'm thinking of just buying a barebones one this time instead of building it. If I get a 64 bit processor no matter what brand I can still run a 32 bit OS correct?

Y2K............. Nuff said

In 2038, we'll all probably use biologically cultured organic quantum computers anyway. So the problem will likely be fixed until then. ;)

I dunna. I want a Mac. Aren't they already 64-bit, or am I wrong. I'll look.
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No, I looked on Intel's website. Looks like core 2 duos are x64.