The Pacer

Issue date: 1/23/07 Section: Technology

When Microsoft released its Business Edition of Windows Vista in November 2006, very few people found reason for excitement. However, in exactly one week - when Microsoft releases both pre-installed and out-of-the-box versions of Windows Vista - many computer retail stores expect to see a crowd.

One Best Buy sales associate in Jackson said, "As of right now, we are going to be redoing the floor that night to prepare for [the Vista release] and we do expect a lot of traffic the next day."

What exactly do users have to look forward to in the latest operating system from Microsoft?

For one, stylishly good looks. Anyone who has seen the Vista TV and Internet ads knows that features such as Windows Flip3D navigation, Aero - Vista's glass-like interface - and live thumbnails of windows in the task bar appear to be pretty slick.

Other features to look for in Vista include a much improved Windows Update system that keeps itself up-to-date without requiring anything from users. Parental controls have also been beefed up to help parents combat the use of computers for pornography and other harmful content by their children.

As is true for most any new operating system release, the software has to include either a new or updated media suite. Vista is no different, tossing Windows Media Player 11 into a world dominated by iTunes. Vista also includes a photo gallery that should improve greatly on Windows Picture and Fax Viewer.

One final feature to be impressed with - surprisingly - is security. Microsoft operating systems are notorious for lagging behind in the field of security when compared to Macintosh and Linux based machines, but Vista includes a two-way firewall as well as advanced data encryption and control over user accounts to help improve security.

These features contribute to the overall experience users have to look forward to in Windows Vista, but also run up the system requirements for computers running the operating system. Microsoft.com lists recommended specifications that include a 1 GHz (32- or 64-bit) processor, 1 GB of memory, a graphics card that supports DirectX 9 with a minimum 128 MB of graphics memory and a hard drive with a minimum of 40 GB of storage. Installing Windows Vista will take up 15 GB alone.

Given the potential expense of upgrading to Vista - both software and hardware - Windows users should carefully consider when they want to upgrade and which version of Vista they want to buy. The versions currently slated for release this month are the Home Basic, Home Premium and Ultimate editions. Business edition was release in November, 2006.

Potential buyers might think that Microsoft is being overly complicated with four versions of what is essentially the same operating system, but the reality is that computers are used for multiple tasks by a wide variety of people.

With that in mind, buyers should consider if they want only a limited edition without the graphics-heavy taxation on system requirements (Home Basic) or if they want more graphics, security and functionality (Home Premium or Ultimate.) Some of the features mentioned above come only on certain versions, so buyers should consult www.windowsvista.com for a list of which features come on which version.

Windows Vista may only slowly replace Windows XP as less support and software is available for XP, but eventually the world can expect to see "Powered by Windows Vista" posted everywhere.

Page 1 of 1

Article Tools