SDL programming question

Been having a look at this tutorial:

[video=youtube;HgbEE_8VyNA]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HgbEE_8VyNA&feature=relmfu[/video]

At 2:31 he says 'Since I'm using a 64 bit operating system, I'll use x86'. Is there a reason for this? I always thought one should use folders that say x64 if their operating system is x64. I'm confused. x_x

(My operating system is 64 bit, which is part of the reason I'm wondering)

Also, what are linkers? I looked online but don't understand the explanations. How does one know which .lib files to use as he does when he ctrl C+ ctrl Vs them in?

I always assumed that x86 refered to 32 bit operating systems. IE, why theres a C:/Program Files and a C:/Program Files (x86)

Maybe hes doing it in x86 so that it would be backwards compatable with a 32 bit operating system?

Yeah x86 is for 32-bit operating systems that use an Intel card.

Maybe hes doing it in x86 so that it would be backwards compatable with a 32 bit operating system?

This is the most likely reason. It saves the trouble of building a both a 32-bit and 64-bit version. Another possible reason to compile as x86 instead of x64 is that you may be using some libraries that you only have in 32-bit form.

You know which .lib files to use because the documentation of the library you're using tells you. Of if that fails, you guess and see if you get linker errors.

A linker takes multiple object files and static libraries and combines them into a single file. In conventional C or C++, each .c or .cpp file creates an object file when compiled.