[OSX-Users] Re: 64 bit on macbook airs?

[Philip Boulain]

On 24/05/2012 12:05, m.c. schraefel wrote:
> this is mainly to ensure that the vm ware is running in 64bit mode so that the software on the pc side that won't run without 64bit mode can run.

Unless VMWare is less capable than VirtualBox, it should be able to run 
64-bit clients on a 32-bit host anyway, albeit with less than stellar 
performance.

The whole 64-bitness issue on OS X is Weird anyway: under Snow Leopard, 
my 64-bit capable MBP (Core 2 Duo, and I'm pretty sure I've had it 
temporarily run 64-bit Linux) claims to not be running a 64-bit kernel 
in system information*, yet runs 64-bit Handbrake anyway. So at least 
pre-Lion the userland can be wider than the kernel. :|

Phil
* A very quick Google points to this being disabled on "older" (pah) 
machines where Apple were less certain about 64-bit EFI (*spit*) 
support. You'd never have that problem with a good ol' BIOS because it's 
16-bit and you run away from that into your own kernel code as fast as 
possible. ;)