The OEM just doesn't have a box. Same thing as Retail.
I don't see any advantages about 64-bit, except for it's the "new" thing. 32-bit is still supported, there is only a few things that support 64-bit Windows. Your processor also has to support 64-bit, which it does.
ight thanks talldude. ust one more question. I heard that with the OEM version you can only install it liek up to two times per cd key. Is this true, because i have XP Pro OEM, and i have installed it like over at least 30 times on over 4 computers.
64 bit is at a bare minimum 50 percent faster. don't listen to these guys. MS didn't address 64 bit much on xp as they were focused on vista. ms is focused on getting 64 bit vista right.
as soon as everybody realize that 64 bit is the way to go, they will start to drop 32bit.
eventually. M$ has the muscle to force standards on the industry, things like DX and such. so of they want 64bit OSs they will get it. cause people will use windows and the 3rd party developers will have to suck it up and write new code.
i just got my reminder from newegg to buy some of M$ software and was deciding 64 or 32... would all the stuff still work on 64..? because last i heard it has a sort of emulation that will run the 32bit apps on the x64 platform (wow32.exe?)
so for the average pc techie - PHP , apache, bf2, cod2, etc: 64 or 32