Windows Vista

[Wizzo]

After five years and a budget reckoned to have neared $10 billion, Windows Vista is here and we're finally left with the successor to XP.

Firstly, there is some hysteria surrounding Vista's hardware requirements, if your PC runs Windows XP without problems, it's almost certain to run Vista without issue too.

Secondly, with the amount of negative publicity Windows XP has endured around security, it's been a key focus during Vista's development. Vista sees a huge boost to the Windows Security Center. This is broken down into four components: Firewall, Automatic Updating, Malware Protection and Other Security Settings. If you buy anti-virus software, for example, Microsoft intends it to "plug into" the Security Center console, and be controlled from there. It's currently impossible to be definitive about how secure Vista will be.

Reports indicate that Windows Vista isn't the revolution that people were originally promised. However, the changes to the interface compared to XP make it feel a lot more mature and capable, while the new navigation and search features significantly speed up everyday tasks.

What's more, anyone contemplating upgrading their system faces a dilemma. The price Microsoft is charging for the retail versions of Windows, for example, £128 exc VAT for an upgrade to Home Premium, is far too much to expect people to pay.

Most magazines have said that after running Vista for a few hours, they couldn't contemplate going back to XP - it seems clunky by comparison. And, for those buying a new PC, the decision is clear - unless Vista won't run an application you simply must have, there's no reason whatsoever to stick with XP.

Summery: Vista, it's by no means perfect, but the improved security, search and look-and-feel make Vista an obvious upgrade for anyone whose hardware will support it. But only if you can afford the high price.

 
HINT You can get round the high price by purchasing an OEM version of Windows XP Media Center Edition (£69 exc VAT from Amazon) and then take advantage of the free upgrade voucher to Vista, not ideal I know but the only alternative is to wait for OEM versions of Vista to be sold.


 

[romephius]

As an ex-I.t. industry person, it seems odd that there aren't already O.E.M. licenses already available, considering an O.E.M. license covers software sold bundled with any new pc.  The license covering only the pc it's sold with or in some cases (as with xp) the single piece of hardware it's sold with examples include processors and multiple hard drives.  Anyone who upgrades their pc a component at a time would have noticed that xp gets upset when you change too much in your pc, requiring you to re-activate it.  This all stems from the O.E.M. base of all licenses.  It's microsofts way of keeping track of what hardware is running their software.  And being involved with the hype surrounding the release of XP, my advice to anyone considering the upgrade, WAIT till there are some updates available for it.  The first release of XP was so unstable a competent person with a computer could kill it in less than half an hour.  Microsoft being Microsoft, cannot be trusted to release a reliable system straight out of the box.

Some may agree with me, Some may not, I only speak of my personal experience with microsoft software.

Happy computing all.