Why use 4 GB of RAM?

4 GB RAM !
and a 64 bit OS?
Do u really need them NOW?
I mean The trouble is though, Windows Vista x64 Edition does not play nicely with much 32-bit software, and requires new drivers for all your existing hardware, which may not yet (or ever) be available. You may want to move to the 64-bit OS to take advantage of your shiny new processor's capabilities, but what happens if half your games don't work and the other half run slower due to driver issues? The major videocard companies are admittedly close to perfecting their 64-bit drivers, but 'close' could mean anywhere from 3 months to a year before they are at the same level of performance as their 32-bit siblings !!

Further I read somewhere

"...Well chances are you really wont even need 4 gigs of ram for the macbook. Unless you are using some really high end music programs 4 gigs isnt gonna make much of a difference...
The only disadvantage of using 4gb of ram is that you you'll be wasting 2gb of ram since it's not used. Maybe even shorten your battery life by a couple minutes?
The only time you'll need 4gb of ram is if you are a hardcore multi-tasker, have to deal with files that are 100+mb, etc.
As for heat, yes, ram does produce some heat, but it usually isn't a problem since most of the heat coming from your notebook is from your cpu and gpu.... "

No doubt the 4 GB ram would be better than the 2 GB but is there a genuine need to go for it?
I mean its ok if U are getting it for free but since we are engineers, we got to think about our optimum need. Dont just go for the best possible, cuz technology will keep changing and sooner we could be having a 10 GB RAM !
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Topic split to fecilitate an easy discussion this.

Here is my view on 4 GB RAM. XP 64 bit was very buggy while Vista 64 bit is very stable. Probably even more stable than the 32 bit version. Plus the future of computing is the 64 bit version. Why do I say so?

Well simply because 4 GB RAM is becoming regulatory stuff around the world. A 32 bit OS maxes out at about 3.2 GBs.

Reviews say that anything more than 2 GBs of RAM are pretty easily visible. And my laptop has just two slots for RAM unlike 4 or more like desktops. So if I put in a 2GB and 1 GB Module I am at a disadvantage. Firstly because I am below the maximum permissible RAM and also I am missing out on the 'Dual Channel' configuration.

So going for 4 GB of RAM is logical because it allows me room for expanding in the future!

As for your last remark let me tell you that a 64 bit OS has a limitation of a 128 GB RAM. I read an article recently where it is said that HP is already offering 8 GB RAM Module with its Business Grade laptops. So a 16 GB RAM is a laptop and 32 GB RAM in a desktop is already possible!!
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Driver issues by the way are a small issue. As I have all the drivers for my notebook. Also most devices today are offering 64 bit drivers. As for Games and all it only depends on Graphics Card and its drivers. www.laptopvideo2go.com is the website that I use for drivers. Have a look at the quantity of 64 bit drivers available for download!!!
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