Desktop computer workstations with 64-bit processors are now commonly found in advertisements presented to home and small office computer buyers. Dell is offering 64-bit desktop systems with Intel Xeon and AMD Athlon 64 CPUs. Apple has had 64-bit Power Mac G5 systems for years and now also offers an Intel Xeon-based Mac Pro with four 64-bit cores. Do-it-yourselfers can easily buy 64-bit motherboards for Intel and AMD 64-bit processors from hundreds of vendors on the Web.

There are also 64-bit versions of Mac OS X (10.5), Linux, and Microsoft Windows XP and Windows Vista to run on 64-bit hardware. Software developers are now writing true 64-bit programs that can make full use of the resources of 64-bit operating systems, and not simply rebuilding 32-bit programs with a 64-bit compiler. Power, speed, and capacity for the future are all part of the 64-bit promised for consumers.

But, despite the increasing available of 64-bit technology, do you really need a 64-bit desktop computer?

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There has been a lot blogged about the apparent hardware problems with the Xbox 360. I don’t own an Xbox 360 (I’m strictly a PC gamer), but I have many friends that own and love their 360, and none of them has had more than the occasional crash (these are mostly due to software problems in the game). However, this situation finally caught my attention when the Penny Arcade guys blogged about it and linked to Microsoft Knowledge Base article 907534, indicating that Microsoft says too the problem is real.

The specific problem Xbox 360 owners are seeing is three of the lights on the Ring of Light (RoL) continually flash red indicating a hardware failure. 360 users commenting at DevLib and 1UP note that when the three RoL appears, the 360 sometimes continues to operate, it may need to cool down, or sometimes it’s a complete brick. This seems to happen with 360 boxes that have been used for only a few months, indicating if you’ve made good use of your 360 for more than six months you may never see this problem.

What should you do if your beloved 360 gives you the three-flashing-lights salute? Just like when you see and idiot light on the dashboard of your car, you can know that something has gone terribly wrong–regardless if the 360 continues to operate. The Microsoft Knowledge Base article points to a few other articles containing things to try, but with three flashing reds it’s like giving a Windows user false hope by telling them all they need to do to fix the problem is to defrag their hard drive. Instead, immediately call Microsoft and make use of your warranty (you did buy the extended warranty, didn’t you?).