32 bit is the older technology, and things are slowly moving toward 64 bit which is faster...i am using a 32 bit version and there is nothing wrong with it at all. i think most people are still using 32 bit and you may have less incompatability problems. check microsoft's site for the specific differences between the different versions of vista, but basically, home edition would be good for most people's home computers, and ultimate has everything available if you may need to connect up to your business's network or something but it's more expensive.