i386/IA64/x86-64?

[Sybella]

I installed Mandrake LE2005 on a laptop and I'm trying to find the correct drivers for an internal wireless card at the Broadcom website, or at least find the correct windows version so I can wrap it. But, I'm quite confused. On top of trying to figure out what the precise model of NICs I have, all these version numbers for Linux are making me dizzy. I downloaded the one that was supposed to be for all three but it didn't work, so I'm back to square one. Can someone explain i386, IA64 and x86-64 please? Thank you!!

'Bella

[qumran]

i386, IA64 and x86-64 are all processor types.

i386 is a 32 bit intelprocessor
x86-64 is intel 64bit processor
IA64 is AMD 64 bit processor

that's it mate

[Sybella]

Oh, ohhhh!! I get it now...it's processor types, not versions of Linux. No wonder I couldn't find the answer in a simple web search. I kept looking for Linux! LOL! So that makes my system a ia64 because my chip is an AMD Athlon XP, XP-M, right?

[qumran]

yes you're right :rock:

[techieMoe]

Oh, ohhhh!! I get it now...it's processor types, not versions of Linux. No wonder I couldn't find the answer in a simple web search. I kept looking for Linux! LOL! So that makes my system a ia64 because my chip is an AMD Athlon XP, XP-M, right?

No, you are mistaken. An AMD Athlon XP is an i686 (or just X86) processor. IA64 stands for "Intel Architecture 64" (definition)

The X86 processors started with the Intel 8086 processor way back in 1978. They were incrementally improved (80186, 80286) and then Intel released the Intel 386 (i386) in 1980. That was then followed by he 486 (i486), the Pentium (i586), and the Pentium 3/4 (i686) and AMD's Athlon/Duron/T-bird (also i686).

Since all these processors were based on the same architecture (basically they read/wrote 1's and 0's in the same way), and their names all contained "86", the whole family was collectively called "X86". All the X86 processors past the 386 were 32-bit.

The recent trend has been to move toward 64-bit processors, and several different architectures popped up. DEC's Alpha and Motorola's PPC chips have been 64-bit for a while, but Intel's Itanium and Xeon and AMD's Athlon64 are the new kids on the block.

The difference between the Itanium (IA64) and PPC versus the Athlon64 is that the Itanium and PPC have completely different architectures (they speak different 1 and 0 languages), whereas the Athlon64 speaks the same language as the 32-bit X86 processors, but adds 64-bit registers. Therefore the name of the Athlon64 in generic terms is "X86_64".

Intel, not to be outdone, has since redesigned its 64-bit Xeon processors to use the same kind of architecture as the Athlon64, calling it "Intel 64-bit with Extended Memory Technology". Basically they couldn't say they copied AMD without being laughed at in irony (since AMD got its start by simply copying Intel's chips).

And I'm sure that's much more information than you care to know.. but now you do. Amaze your friends. Wink

[unknown]

i386 is a 32 bit intel or amd processor, non 32bit

[techieMoe]

i386 is a 32 bit intel or amd processor, non 32bit

I don't follow what you're trying to say.