It just dawned on me that the reason I’ve been getting so many emails about 64-bit Windows 7 certifications is that I have somehow neglected to post a statement of direction about our plans. So many emails, so little time. There are three possible configurations:
- 32-bit Windows 7, 32-bit browsers, 32-bit JRE
- 64-bit Windows 7, 32-bit browsers, 32-bit JRE
- 64-bit Windows 7, 64-bit browsers, 64-bit JRE
We
have certified the first configuration already: E-Business Suite with 32-bit Windows 7 desktop clients running 32-bit versions of Internet Explorer (IE) and Firefox with the 32-bit JRE. We are in the process of certifying the second configuration: Oracle E-Business Suite with 64-bit Windows 7 desktop clients running 32-bit versions of IE and Firefox with the 32-bit JRE. This certification is going smoothly, and I am optimistic that it will be completed soon. Speaking pragmatically, most new PCs at Oracle are arriving equipped with Windows 7 64-bit by default, and I know that they’re running 32-bit browsers and JREs against Oracle’s own Oracle E-Business Suite Release 12 instance with no issues. Nonetheless, I am conservative when it comes to these things, so we’ll release this certification only after all of our internal desktop certification tests are completed. After the second certification is completed, we’ll move on to certifying the third configuration: E-Business Suite with 64-bit Windows 7 desktop clients running 64-bit versions of IE and Firefox with the 64-bit JRE.
Why are you interested in the third configuration? That said, I am curious about your business need for the final certification (Win7 64-bit + 64-bit browsers and JREs). Firefox 64-bit releases seem to lag in functionality and in the general release cycle. Some reports suggest that 64-bit browsers do not necessarily provide improved performance across the board, and may have compatibility issues — most notably with Flash, since Adobe is
still working on their 64-bit Flash Player. Even more telling, in fresh installs of Windows 7 64-bit, Microsoft configures the default browser to be IE 32-bit, not IE 64-bit. In other words, end-users need to take an extra step to run the 64-bit version of IE. If you’re planning to reconfigure your users’ desktops to invoke a 64-bit browser by default, I’d be very interested in understanding your reasons. Feel free to post a comment here or drop me an email.
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