Microsoft Windows Vista

by: Ahsia Lie Ibasco

Windows Vista
 is an operating system expressed in several
variations developed by Microsoft for use on
personal computers, including home and
business desktops, laptops, tablet PCs, and
media center PCs. The release of Windows
Vista came more than five years after the
introduction of its predecessor, Windows XP, the
longest time span between successive releases of
Microsoft Windows desktop operating systems.
 VERSIONS- HOME

 Basic is REALLY basic, no Aero, no bells &

whistles.
 VERSION - BUSINESS
 Business is most comparable to XP
Professional – has all the core features to work
in a business (or home) environment.
 Ultimate is something new – it has all the
business features, and also has the “Media
Edition” features, like Home Premium.
 You can upgrade for an additional charge at
any time. Upgrades can even be downloaded
on-line (better have broadband – big upgrade)
 Vista’s Pros and Cons
 PROS- Windows Vista Home Basic does improve some
features within Windows XP; fewer system crashes than
Windows XP; and Windows Vista offers better built-in
support options.

 CONS- Windows Vista Home Basic does not put Search

on the desktop no Aero graphics system in Home Basic; no
new software yet written exclusively for Windows Vista;
optimized only for the Microsoft Windows ecosystem (for
example, RSS feeds from IE7 get preferential treatment);
and little reason to leave Windows XP.
 New Features in Vista

There are many new features introduced in the

Windows Vista operating system. A few of the
most important new features will be introduced.
Not all the new features are available to all
versions of Vista.
 AERO
 Aero is designed to have a glass like appearance
with various degrees of transparency. It is also
one of the main reasons for the slower
performance of Windows Vista, when compared
to the previous version of Windows XP loaded on
the sample physical machine.
Vista Aero Interface
Vista Basic (non-Aero)
Aero
“Bubbles”
 AUTOMATIC NETWORK
CONFIGURATION

 Setting up a home network is easier than ever before.

Vista will automatically detect and configure a home
network or home office in most cases, and automatically
setup a share and Internet connection. It will also allow
files to be shared much easier in a home network
environment, while still providing security from the
Internet. The main exception arises if there is a router or
gateway being used that is not compatible with the new
Windows Vista automatic networking features.
Vista Networking &
Sharing Center
PREVIOUS FILE VERSION
 One of the newest features that will prove to be
invaluable is the Previous File Version also referred to as
shadow drive or shadow file protection. Previous
version automatically makes a copy of files before they
are saved with changes. This will allow a user to go back
and open an earlier version of a file. When you open the
properties dialog box of files saved on the system you
will see a previous version option. The previous file
version was first introduced in Windows 2000 server,
and now has been incorporated into Vista versions
business, enterprise, but not the Home Editions.
PreviousVersion1

As you can see in the

screen capture, under
the Previous Version
tab, there are two
earlier version of the
document titled
Chapter 5 that can be
restored with simply
one click of the mouse.
 VISTA DEFENDER
 Vista Defender works directly with Internet Explorer 7,
or later, to protect the computer from spyware.
Defender scans files as they are downloaded to the
computer through the Internet browser. Defender will
identify what appears to be spyware, but allows the user
to decide what action to take. The possible actions are
Ignore, Allow, Quarantine and Always Allow.
Quarantine will isolate and store the suspected spyware
file allowing the user the opportunity to install it at a
later date if it is found not to be spyware, but actually a
desired program.
 Windows Meeting Space
 Windows Meeting Space is designed for a network
collaboration allowing users to communicate face-
to-face. The meeting can vary from a simple two,
up to nine persons, using their personal computers
connected by cables or wireless. The users can
share documents, power point presentations, audio
and video images, and anything else that might
share in a typical meeting session.
Media Center

Media Center is a collection of media (audio,

photo, animation, movie, etc.) manipulation
utilities or tools. You can edit digital movies,
modify or adjust digital photos, record, copy, and
create DVDs. You can also watch live television
on your PC if you install a television tuner card
first. As you see in the feature chart, media center
is only available in Home Premium and Ultimate
editions of Vista.
Windows Media
Player 11
 BitLocker

 BitLocker ensures that data remains encrypted

even when the operating system is not running.
For example, if someone removes a hard disk
drive and then attempts to access the data from
another machine using a different operating
system or software utility, Bit Locker would
prevent the data being accessed. The data will
still remain encrypted.
 Clean Install or Upgrade
 It is recommended that in most cases you should
do a clean install after partitioning and
reformatting the hard disk drive. This will
eliminate any file fragments, and most registry
corruption, from the previous operating system
version. Before you perform a clean install, be
sure you have all hardware device drivers
available and a copy of all previously install
applications. Backup all files.
 Windows Vista is Microsoft's first new operating system in more
than five years and the successor to Windows XP. However, it is
not worth rushing out to purchase. If you desperately need to buy a
new PC then by all means do so; there's nothing wrong with
Windows Vista. But there's no one compelling feature within
Windows Vista that cries out to switch over, neither the enhanced
graphic capabilities (Aero) nor the improved system performance
features (truthfully, our Windows XP doesn't crash). As for
security, Microsoft's 
biggest improvements in Windows Vista are within the Enterpr
ise or 64-bit editions
, editions most home users will not be running. Windows Vista is
not the Apple Mac OS X 10.4 killer one hoped for (or feared). Nor
are there specific big-name software packages written exclusively
for Windows Vista--most software available today is compatible
with both Windows XP and Windows Vista.