After upgrading my home PC last week I finally got around to trying out a Windows XP 64-bit install. The curious bit is that even though I have the same hardware installed, my 3D Mark 06 score is 4000pts higher. That seems a bit extreme but it's the truth. Same hardware, both standard installs with windows updates, motherboard drivers and graphics card drivers from supplied disks. XP pro 32 bit score: 3018; XP pro 64-bit score: 7435. This sounds a bit weird so I'd be interested in hearing from anyone with similar results. I'm running an Asus P5N-E sli board with 2x1GB OCZ platinum (pc 6400) and an intel Q6600 and a WD raptor 740DFD.
Also this week I've been looking into speech recognition within office 2007. What is with Microsoft? this was a simple process in office XP but the speech SDK isn't installed by office 2007. Still once I installed the right version and turned on the language bar it sprang to life again. Just a shame that my cold is not helping the voice recognition at all. Here is the link to the MS speech SDK v5.1: http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyID=5e86ec97-40a7-453f-b0ee-6583171b4530&DisplayLang=en. The only thing to remember is to right-click the language bar, click onto settings and then the advanced tab. Check the box for "Extend support for advanced text services to all programs" and you can happily chat away to notepad and enjoy the simultaneous obscure encryption of your words as they appear.
