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→Ubuntu Download Options
The next choice involves a decision about the architecture of the operating system. This can take the form of either a 32-bit or 64-bit version of Ubuntu. If your computer contains a 32-bit processor then you must use the 32-bit edition of Ubuntu. Alternatively, if you have a 64-bit processor you can use either the 32-bit or 64-bit version of Ubuntu, though for general use, Canonical recommends the 32-bit system for both 32-bit and 64-bit hardware.
Another option is also provided to use the Ubuntu Windows Installer to install Ubuntu alongside an existing Windows installation. Details of this installation process are covered later in this chapter and in the chapter entitled [[Installing Ubuntu 10.x on a Windows Disk with Wubi]].
Having made an appropriate architecture choice the download may be initiated by clicking on the Start download button. The download will take the form of a single ISO image file which may then be burned onto a CDROM, written to a USB flash drive, or used as an image for a virtual machine.
