Hi, probably quite a basic question but what exactly is the difference between the different bit operating systems? Then there’s the x64 and x86 thing too. I heard x86 is actually x32 and then someone else said that x86 is actually x64 and now I’m just confused. Can someone explain what it is and what it means? Is it something to do with using a certain amount of RAM? Thanks! 
Thanks for the helpful answers guys! Just a note: I’m asking because I want to upgrade to windows 7 soon and I will have 4GB of RAM, so I was wondering which version I should get.
Answer:
32 vs. 64 bit describes how large the address registers are in O/S which impacts how much memory it can access. Naturally the larger the address the more memory it can access. Think of it like 2 sticks, you can reach apples higher on the tree with the larger stick (address). x86 was the original term for the processor (8086, 80286, etc.) and then the O/S that ran on them. These were all 32 bit systems so x86 is the same as 32 bit. Note, they are not referred to as x32 and x64 but rather 32 bit and 64 bit.
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