64-bit moe on Unibody Macbooks

[phoenix155]

Question:

It seems as though the new unibody macbooks are k64 ready, but I can't seem to find if the system is booting into 64-bit mode when I hold the "6" and "4" keys down at startup...any way to check this? Thanks!

--Lex

 

[electroshock]

Apple Menu -> About this Mac -> More Info... -> Software -> 64-bit Kernels and Extensions

If it says Yes, it's 64-bit. If No, 32-bit.

 

[Jocelyn84]

 -> About This Mac -> More Info -> Software -> 64-bit Kernel and Extensions:

 

[jmpage2]

Just be aware that 64 bit kernel does not offer many advantages at this time, and will more than likely result in some headaches since quite a few drivers, etc, don't work properly with it.

 

[Kidman13]

Mmhh well my late 2008 Unibody Macbook says "No", but I was pretty sure that almost all the Macs produced in 2008 were 64-bit ready. I mean 64-bit CPU's have been around for years now. Are there any unibody macbooks that do have this 64-bit support?

 

[jmpage2]

Mmhh well my late 2008 Unibody Macbook says "No", but I was pretty sure that almost all the Macs produced in 2008 were 64-bit ready. I mean 64-bit CPU's have been around for years now. Are there any unibody macbooks that do have this 64-bit support?

The newer MBPs like my wife's new 17" will boot the 64 bit kernel.

Which isn't really all that exciting since the 64 bit kernel offers no real advantage.

So, we just let 10.6 boot the kernel it wants to, the 32 bit one.

 

[Zerozal]

Mmhh well my late 2008 Unibody Macbook says "No", but I was pretty sure that almost all the Macs produced in 2008 were 64-bit ready. I mean 64-bit CPU's have been around for years now. Are there any unibody macbooks that do have this 64-bit support?

All unibody macbooks, including yours, are 64-bit ready. What you looked at in System Profiler (About this Mac > More Info) just shows if the kernel is currently booted into 32-bit ("No") or 64-bit mode. 32-bit mode for the kernel is default, even on my Mac Pro. To boot into 64-bit mode, hold the "6" and "4" keys while booting, then bring up System Profiler again--it will now say "Yes".

Anyway, like everyone above says, it doesn't matter. Just let it boot into the default kernel--your 64-bit apps will still run fine and you'll be able to address all your RAM.

 

[impulse462]

THe unibody macbooks have the 64bit mode disabled even though they are 64bit ready

 

[Infrared]

Which isn't really all that exciting since the 64 bit kernel offers no real advantage.

http://macperformanceguide.com/images-SnowLeopard/Graph-HeliconFocus411.gif

 

[jmpage2]

http://macperformanceguide.com/images-SnowLeopard/Graph-HeliconFocus411.gif

I don't doubt that there are very specific tools that will see advantages to running under a 64 bit kernel.

However, for the overwhelming majority of users, 64 bit kernel operation will offer no real world benefits to them, and since there are not kernel extensions for everything yet that are 64 bit, it's more trouble than it's worth.

I do expect to see Macs available starting in a year or so that will natively boot the 64 bit kernel since Apple is probably building all of the requisite support for them now.