All Windows XP (Home, Pro, and Pro x64) versions support multiprocessing.  Windows 2000 Pro, NT 4, NT Server, Server 2003 also support multiprocessing.  MacOS 9 and 10 as well.  And most Linux/Unix/Sun/Risc systems have supported it for many years.

SMP Wiki

The problem is when should software take advantage of multiprocessing threads.  For instance, Cinema 4D only uses this for rendering - everything else is single processing (threading here is based on multitasking - NOT multiprocessing - these are two different things).  Usually, multiprocessing is best for automated tasks (such as rendering) where user interaction is not involved (an exaggerated example: it would be an amazing feat for a single user to work on posing three figures independently and simultaneously - though not impossible). ;)

So here's the basic lesson:

32-bit and 64-bit are memory addressing ranges - how much memory can be used on a computer by the processor(s).  This depends on the CPU and OS.

Multitasking is the ability for an OS to run more than one process or thread seemingly simultaneously (actually, they are being interleaved in some form of priority/round-robin/queue/other type of processing scheme).

Multiprocessing is having more than one physical CPU in a computer - this could be separate CPU chips or one chip with many CPUs (dual and quad core).

Every modern OS has multitasking capabiltiies (even the AmigaOS had it in 1986).

Every modern OS has multiprocessing capabilities (at least within the past five or so years).

Only certain OSs have 64-bit capabilties (Windows XP Pro x64, Windows Server 2003, MacOS 10.4, Linux/Unix type OSs).

Robert

C makes it easy to shoot yourself in the foot. C++ makes it harder, but when you do, you blow your whole leg off.

 -- Bjarne Stroustrup

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