Q:   A customer asked if using a 64-bit machine would enable the use of additional memory in APL.

A:   Yes if a 64-bit Windows OS and VisualAPL are used.

Just having a 64-bit machine does not automatically enable a larger memory space for APL. It is necessary to install and use a 64-bit Microsoft Windows operating system and use VisualAPL.

In a 32-bit Windows operating system the maximum memory space for any one program application is limited to approximately 2GB on a workstation and approximately 3GB on a Windows server [using a special flag in the boot.ini of the server]. Using a 32-bit Windows operating system on 32- or 64-bit hardware will restrict any program, including VisualAPL to these memory space limitations.

Using a 64-bit Windows operating system the memory space is huge, up to 16TB (terabytes!) of memory. Few if any 64-bit hardware machines available today can be configured with that much memory however. A program application in this environment can use virtually any amount of memory up to the amount available in the machine. Readily available 64-bit hardware which is compatible with a 64-bit Windows operating system can be configured with 16 - 64GB of memory. Future hardware offerings may increase this hardware design limitation on installed memory.