[caption id="attachment_966" align="aligncenter" width="960"] My latest dream laptop ladies and gents. But prolly not getting this anytime soon.
(source: Engadget.com)[/caption]

I'm sure even when your PC is 64-bit, and probably have it for YEARS now, you still have 32-bit programs in there, and you just don't care. *cough cough* I have very basic knowledge of computer hardware. I can tell if it's good enough for what I need or for what somebody else needs, or if it can play the games I want to play, if it's if it's a bargain at it's price or it isn't--that's about it.

[caption id="attachment_963" align="aligncenter" width="640"] (source: MakeUseOf) I forgot to take a screenshot of mine before upgrading. Genius.[/caption]

I'v gotten myself an ultra-portable laptop for my on-the-go computer needs very recently (and by very recently I mean yesterday), and coincidentally, my PC at work got upgraded just today. International New PC Day! (How many times can I say PC in a post?) So all I've been doing the entire day is installing programs. I never cared about getting the 32-bit or 64-bit version. All I know is that my PC says 64, so I'm getting 64. Then I saw in my Task Manager that my Google Chrome is 32-bit so I wondered if I have a choice. Apparently I do (it's still in Beta). I finally lifted a finger and looked it up:

Why Install the 64-bit version of a Windows Program When Available?

Common sense tells me installing a 64-bit program on 32 will either 'work but without improvement' or will not work at all. And installing 64 on a 64, would, uhm, I don't know, run faster? I could be right but I've always just been guessing. So here's where my research have brought me, actually not very far because it's from the Microsoft website, but the explanation is very clear and simple. No-Nosebleed Guarantee! Two (2) important points I've read:

More memory available—if you need it

The main advantage of computers running a 64-bit version of Windows is their ability to use more memory than a 32-bit version of Windows, even if more memory is installed in the PC. A computer with a 64-bit version of Windows can use more memory—4 GB (gigabytes) or more—than a PC with a 32-bit version of Windows, which is limited to about 3.5 GB or less. A 64-bit PC with 6 GB, 8 GB, or more memory can outperform a computer with less memory if you keep a lot of programs and files open at once or you perform a lot of memory-intensive tasks, such as editing HD video or playing the latest 3D games. Even so, few programs today have been designed to take full advantage of the 3.5 GB of maximum memory that you can use with a 32-bit version of Windows. So depending on what you do and what programs you use, there might be no advantage or only a slight advantage to using a 64-bit version of Windows. The main advantage comes if you keep a lot of programs running at once. For more information, see Taking the mystery out of 64-bit Windows.

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Run 32-bit programs on a 64-bit version of Windows

When you run a 32-bit program on a 64-bit version of Windows 7, the program runs in a 32-bit emulation mode, using software to simulate a 32-bit version of Windows 7. This allows 32-bit programs to run smoothly on the 64-bit operating system. But note that programs designed for 64-bit computing might run faster on a 64-bit version of Windows 7. Certain older programs that won't work on a 64-bit version of Windows 7 might run fine in Windows XP Mode in Windows 7. As the name suggests, this feature allows programs designed for Windows XP to run smoothly in Windows 7. (Some types of programs might not run in Windows XP Mode, such as security software and programs with intensive graphics.) For more information, see Install and use Windows XP Mode in Windows 7. You can also try changing the compatibility settings for the program, either manually or by using the Program Compatibility troubleshooter. For more information, see Make older programs run in this version of Windows. The bottom line: Unlike hardware drivers, even older programs designed for 32-bit versions of Windows should work well with the 64-bit version of Windows 7.