But i386 will still run on 64 bit hardware. A place I was working recently was insisting on sticking to 32 bit linux while they migrated off Solaris, mostly for

But i386 will still run on 64 bit hardware. A place I was working recently was insisting on sticking to 32 bit linux while they migrated off Solaris, mostly for stupid reasons on code that wasn't too hard to port, but just because the hardware is no longer compatible doesn't mean the software is, especially for any proprietary software that will never be upgraded.