Introducing my IT WTF : The more bits the better, or is it ?

From today onwards, I will be posting short snippets of nerdy IT horror stories that occurs around me. For the IT professionals who actually read this blog, please learn from the mistakes of others.

Ok, let's start with a story about a wireless driver.

Last Friday, I asked "W" to update a driver for a wireless adapter driver for a notebook that is running on Windows XP Pro. The attempt failed and I took a closer look. Oops ! After browsing the contents of the driver folder, I realised that I have passed him the wrong driver.

I didn't have time, so I asked him to download the latest version from the vendor's webpage. Then came the stunner.

Me : This one sala driver. Go download the latest.
W : Why? I saw a 64-bit version of the driver in the folder you told me.
Me : 64-bit? You can't use 64-bit drivers.
W : Upgrade mah. 64-bit is faster.
Me : ...... you ... can't ... do ... that.

This is the point I realise that "W" don't understand the difference between 32-bit and 64-bit systems. I almost have this urge to ask him if he knows that 32-bit OS requires 32-bit drivers, Windows XP Professional is a 32-bit OS and the Intel CPU in the notebook is a 32-bit CPU. In the end, I decided to keep my words in my head and go off to do more urgent tasks.

Come on, this is not a case of the-more-the-merrier ! If the bigger number is the better deal, my decommissioned 33.6k modem's must be awesome at 300ms ping compared to my current cable modem at 30ms ping !!!

For those IT professionals who also didn't know, is suppose to know, or too paiseh to ask, come get your info from my favorite haunt here.


No amount of upgrading will get a real fireplace in your cramp HDB flat.

For non-IT folks like the rest of the 99.99% of the population, it's like installing a fireplace in a HDB flat because you want to cook a chicken wing. It's not compatible and it will not work without making a moron out of yourself.