All 32-bit Versions of PixInsight Now Officially Obsolete

[Juan Conejero]

This has already been said for some time on this forum, but we want to make it official today: All 32-bit versions of PixInsight are now declared obsolete on all supported platforms.

The practical consequences of this announcement are as follows:

- Starting from version 1.8.0 of the PixInsight Core application, no 32-bit version of PixInsight will be released anymore for FreeBSD, Linux and Mac OS X. PixInsight 1.8.0 is due before the end of July September November December 2012.

- A 32-bit version of PixInsight Core 1.8.0 will be released for Windows. This is exclusively to support existing laptop and desktop computers running 32-bit versions of Windows Vista and Windows 7. Given that the Windows operating system is not free, we don't want to force any of our users to waste money updating their operating systems. However, this situation is temporary and does not change the fact that the 32-bit version of PixInsight 1.8.0 for Windows is declared obsolete. We'll probably discontinue it during early 2013.

We encourage all of our FreeBSD, Linux and Windows users to update their operating systems to 64-bit versions. Leading edge applications require reasonably up-to-date system software and hardware. PixInsight has to move forward, and we really cannot invest more resources in trying to fix and explain recurring out-of-memory problems, which are due to obsolete systems being used to perform memory intensive image processing tasks. Note that Mac OS X is already a 64-bit operating system since version 10.6 (Snow Leopard).

[Josh Lake]

This makes a lot of sense. To the future! 

[Yuriy Toropin]

It will be great if the latest (even obsolete) 32 bit versions will still be available for download for licensed customers.

[shurik]

well..I am sorry for the comparison but this is just like any corporation abandoning their old customers.."bill gates", iphone, etc., all of a sudden you are forced to buy a new device to continue to use updated product, switching from 32 bit to 64 bit windows is not a trivial task, if you have a massive amount of software and data that was adapted to 32 bit, these users are doomed..I understand you must move on with new developments...but what are we supposed to do , I cant sacrifice my computer just to catch up with Pixinsight, I wish I had a leisure to have separate machine... but I just wonder if its just me or there others who are concerned...

thanks, Alex

[georg.viehoever]

Even Microsoft abandons WinXP soon... http://windows.microsoft.com/en-US/windows/help/end-support. As a developer you just dont want to waste resources on a platform that were designed when internet, multicore, 1GB RAM, viruses.. were considered exotic. And as a user you may want to benefit from the progress of the last 11 years (such as connectivity multicore performance, RAM size, security, ...).

At some point it just makes sense forward (XP was first released in 2001). Plus most 32 bit Windows software works fine on Win7-x64. 

Georg

[Nocturnal]

I feel for people stuck in 32b land but I understand the other side as well. At some point developers have to choose what they will no longer support. The old versions of PI remain active and aren't broken so this shouldn't be a real issue. Just like you really shouldn't run DOS or Win 3.1 or OS/2 apps anymore you really need to move on and get a 64b system. They are dirt cheap so there's really no excuse. There is no need to get a giant expensive computer. Cheap AMD based kits from places like Tiger Direct with linux will only set you back a few hundred $. Not expensive in astro dollars. If you don't want to run W7 then run Linux.

I still run XP on my observatory computer but post processing has been W7-x64 for as long as it has been available. I run lots of old astro and radio related software on my W7 systems and they generally work fine. Some poorly written software requires an install outside c:\program files but that's OK. In very very very rare situations I can not run my software under W7. I either decide it's time to move on or I run it on one of my old XP boxes.

All that said I understand if money or space is tight this can be an unfortunate development. If neither of those are concerns then I don't feel bad. Time to move on and reap the benefits of modern computing.

[Komet]

Just seen this on installing 1.08 RC1 ..... I use a 32bit machine (W7) for processing which is also used for a number of audio applications. The machine is 32bit because of the hardware in it - to upgrade to 64bit would render some of the (expensive) hardware useless. This means that I need a new machine just to use PI in future? Not very happy with that. I understand the reasoning but its not very nice being forced to build a new machine just for one prog.

Oh well.

[Nocturnal]

It is sad but the real issue is that the expensive hardware you are talking about is no longer supported. So certainly complain with -them- that they have rendered their hardware obsolete by not making it 64b compatible.

Luckily the current version of PI will continue to work without issue for as long as you keep your machine alive. So 20 years from now you'll have a museum piece with an ancient version of PI and ancient other bits and pieces :-)

In any event, it's time for you to get a 64b machine. It is -so- much better for EVERYTHING, not just PI. Compared to all the widgets we need to take astro photos it's a minor investment. Nothing wrong with having a few computers. I still run an old XP box in my observatory although really there's no reason other than 'cheap'.

Or stay with your current computer and happily use the current PI for many years to come. There are a few minor bugs but nothing that prevents you from doing great things with it.

If the prospect of buying a new PC is daunting, let us know where you live and maybe someone can give you some pointers to get something cheap but good. If money is truly tight you could consider buying parts and building a Linux box just for PI. You could also consider buying a refurbished desktop machine with Windows 7. Super value now that W8 is out.

[Andres.Pozo]

I have had some successes using USB devices inside a 32 bit virtual machine in a 64bit host.