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what is 32-bit mode?

The ABC website says that it cannot run in Snow Leopard unless I switch Safari to 32-bit mode. What are the implications of making this change? The alert from their website is below.

Thanks,
Nicky

"Snow Leopard users
Currently Snow Leopard is not supported.

To be able to watch full episodes, you have to change your Safari browser to run in 32 bit mode.

To change Safari to run in 32-bit mode do the following:

Open the Finder.
Navigate to the Applications folder.
Select Safari.
GetInfo on Safari. (Done by Right Click/CTRL+CLICK and selecting GetInfo, through the File Menu, or CMD+I)
Select (enable/check) the checkbox for "Open in 32-bit mode".
Close the Safari Info window."

MacBook Pro 3 GHz; Quicksilver twin 1.25 ghz; Cube, Mac OS X (10.6.2)

Posted on Feb 5, 2010 10:33 AM

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Posted on Feb 5, 2010 11:06 AM

Hi Nicky

it just means that Safari is run as a 32bit application instead of 64bit.
The difference to the user is a minimal loss of speed, and the fact that if a plugin (like flash, say)
causes a crash... the whole safari app will be brought down, whereas in 64 bit mode, just the plugin
will crash.
8 replies

Feb 5, 2010 11:16 AM in response to Nicky McCatty

Hi Nicky,

No implications. You can view which apps run in 32 or 64-bit mode in your Activity Monitor (Applications/Utilities)

Make sure Safari is running in 32-bit mode. Right or control click the Safari icon in the Applications folder, then click: Get Info In the Get Info window click the black disclosure triangle next to General so it faces down. Select 32 bit mode. Also, (in that same window) make sure Safari is NOT running in Rosetta.

Run Safari in 32 bit mode.










Carolyn 🙂

Feb 6, 2010 10:51 AM in response to William S.

Hi William

unless things have changed very recently.... yes; it's only if Safari is running in 64 bit mode.

Beginning in Mac OS X v10.6, on 64-bit-capable computers, Netscape-style plug-ins execute in an out-of-process fashion. This means that each Netscape-style plug-in gets its own process separate from the application process. This design applies to all Netscape-style plug-ins. It does not apply to WebKit plug-ins, nor at present to WebKit-based applications when running in 32-bit mode.
Out-of-process execution is used for several reasons:
Stability—crashes in plug-ins no longer crash the entire browser.
Security—vulnerabilities in a plug-in can't read or alter data or code in other plug-ins or in the application itself.




quoted from
here

scroll down to 'out of process plugins'

what is 32-bit mode?

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