[GNC] Windows x64 release builds are missing

[Mike Brady]

A side note: Windows 11 requires a 64-bit processor, but still fully 
supports 32-bit Windows software. The AMD-64 instruction set is an 
extension of Intel's 32-bit instruction set, and runs 32-bit seamlessly 
with proper operating system support, which Windows still has even in 
11. GNC isn't the only 32-bit software out there still running on Win 
11. I have 2 Win11 computers, 1 Win10 (64-bit) computer, and one Win10 
(32-bit, on an Atom-based tablet with only 2GB RAM). I don't run GNC on 
the tablet, so as with others I don't have skin in the game - 32 or 64 
bit executables are fine.

There's always the chance that Windows 12 (due out around the time Win10 
goes out of support) will finally block 32-bit software. I haven't seen 
much speculation about that yet.

Still, a lot of software has moved to 64-bit and retired support of 
32-bit, including such things as Firefox and Thunderbird. The ones that 
haven't most likely will at their next major release point (full version 
upgrade) with 32-bit retained as a static download pf an older version 
for those that might still need it. Moving to 64-bit-only at Version 6 
on the schedule mentioned (2026) seems fine to me, and in fact maintains 
32-bit support longer than Windows releases of many other open source 
software products.

Mike Brady
Lurker