argava The Big Picture on Vista
The changes that come with Vista are both visible and deeply embedded in the basic design table end If you expect the usual Microsoft-bashing, you came to the wrong party. All of that is passé, pointless even, considering most of us use Windows anyway. I would like to leave behind all this baggage as I look at what the overhauled Windows brings. Much of the talk greeting Vista's launch was on how long it took to develop Microsoft's first operating system (OS) in five years. Why anyone would want OS's more often, I am not sure. Their introduction is never an easy or isolated event as they involve third-party software upgrades, plenty of re-learning by users to understand new features, and hardware changes to translate new capabilities into action. All of these issues get sharper with Windows Vista because of its long journey. At the end of it, is one camp of people who say Vista is "just a soupped-up Windows XP", and another saying that the changes are sweeping, complicated and deep. I would have to lean towards the second camp. Microsoft has released six versions of Vista. The Home edition comes in basic and premium versions; the difference being high-end graphics and entertainment features. There is also a starter edition for people with low PC skills, a business edition incorporating networking and data security features, and an enterprise edition for those on Microsoft's Software Assurance programme. Vista Ultimate has it all and, therefore, needs 1 GB RAM and a good graphics card. Microsoft's website has comparison charts for each edition and an upgrade adviser that scans your PC to tell you which version would fit. The changes that come with Vista are both visible and deeply embedded in the basic architecture. For one, Vista is apparently much more secure. Microsoft says it is the "most secure Windows ever" but then it should be. Hopefully, they were not planning on a less secure version! And while Windows XP was far more stable than its predecessors, Vista appears even more stable. One thing I liked straight away is that any errors and problems you encounter appear in plain English rather than the incomprehensible gobbledygook we have had for so long. The files on your computer are also better organised and searchable. The search, in fact, is really impressive. As you type into the box in the start bar, you will find the sensitive and quick search has already found what you were looking for. Searching photos is also fun, use a keyword (or a combination) and you can narrow down your search. The 'wow' factor of Vista comes from the Aero design: programmes that cascade on the desktop, folders that show you what is inside and live thumbnail windows that let you see what each open application is doing. You also have 'gadgets' on the right of your desktop with easily accessible things like a clock, and weather and news reports. Of course, Google Desktop offers those gadgets anyway, but Vista has pre-integrated them. Speech recognition has also been built into Vista. Entertainment capabilities have also been significantly enhanced. Media Center is built-in to a system that is also cable TV ready. There is Direct X 10, DVD burning and even the ability to network with game console users. Despite the improvements, there are no compelling reasons to upgrade to Vista right away. Most users will get Vista with their next PC purchases. And, with any software that is used so widely, security will always be an issue. So, we are probably not kissing viruses and spyware goodbye; but, hopefully, dealing with them will be a lot easier now. The general view is that Windows Vista is the last of its kind with technology transitioning to the Web. Whether we will all work out of browsers or something else cannot be predicted right now. Meanwhile, Vista will be the stable and secure platform to see users through to the near future. Bear in mind that Vista's new features and interface will mean a lot of relearning for users, which has to be factored in when buying for an entire company. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ********** Mohammed asif Iqbal PricewaterhouseCoopers Pvt. Ltd. To unsubscribe send a message to [EMAIL PROTECTED] with the subject unsubscribe. To change your subscription to digest mode or make any other changes, please visit the list home page at http://accessindia.org.in/mailman/listinfo/accessindia_accessindia.org.in
