It's alright to get 64-bit hardware, since it's getting more and more common. It will support 16,32,and 64-bit software. As for the software, 64-bit software seems to have not reached its stable stage yet. Expect compatibility problems. Also, 16-bit software unfortunately does *not* run on 64-bit Windows (yet?). This is particularly of importance if you have many years worth of old software that you still use.