I know I said I didn't want the 64 bit versions of the distros I've got on my laptop on my new desktop, but I've changed my mind. Getting indecisive with the advancing years.
Something strange happened dual-booting Slamd64 and Ubuntu 8.04. If I'd been on Ubuntu then booted into Slamd64, the clock was set back an hour. And my timezone changed to Europe/Guernsey from Europe/London. But that wasn't why I got rid of it. I prefer Debian, that's all.

Got Slamd64 up and running. Same installation procedure as Slackware, except for all the package names of course. To compare it with 32 bit I'd have to reinstall Slackware 12.2, but like I said before I really don't want to duplicate what I've got on my laptop. I can't compare any laptop v desktop benchmarks because of processor and RAM differences.
LFS uses how long it takes to compile binutils as a unit of time. So I thought I might try that: get the source, and just run ./configure and...

As the title implies, I started trying 64 bit distros with possibly the easiest install as far as hardware recognition goes: Ubuntu 8.04, amd64 version. No problems whatsoever. Ubuntu even managed to install a NVidia driver that doesn't ****-up everything. Yes, I'm quite pleased with the result. I could have tried 8.10, but from what I've read, the LTS versions are a safer bet - less flaky. The next candidate for installation will be slamd64. I'll keep Ubuntu, because sometimes I'm in a pointy-clicky...

I was thinking (I do that now and then, even though it makes my brain hurt ). Why don't I install a couple of x86_64 distros on my new desktop? It's got a processor and enough RAM to take any advantage that 64 bit offers (if there is any?). And I've got a few CDs/DVDs, either given away with magazines or burnt by me: slamd64, Debian 5, Ubuntus 8.04 & 8.10, and Fedora 10. So why have I merely duplicated what I've got on my laptop? That, then, is my project for this weekend: to boldly go where...

Just got Slackware 12.2 up and running on the new computer mentioned in previous entry. Everything went OK. Too busy playing with it to write any more now, and I need feeding. Tear myself away from my new toy and get some food.