Software Guide Central

Microsoft’s next-generation operating system is coming in early 2007, offering improvements that are both impressive and unprecedented in the Windows world. On Apple’s side of the world, Tiger, the 5th incarnation of Apple’s legendary OS X operating system is still up to challenge as to what Vista has to offer, even if it’s already two years old.

Although Vista and Tiger are almost playing in the same field in terms of features and technology, there’s a major difference in the strategy that the two companies made in delivering their next-generation operating systems. Microsoft wanted to bring everything new and shiny to the table all in one big package, while Apple slowly built and perfected a world-class operating system by frequent, less dramatic, major upgrades. This explains why while Windows XP stayed for 5 years without a major upgrade, OS X had 3 major upgrades to its original incarnation in roughly the same time frame.

User Interface

The most noticeable improvements happen here, and rightfully so, since improvements in the user interface are the ones that affect the users first and foremost. Vista seems to have taken many pages from the Tiger book of slick features but also has some features of its own that’s missing from the Apple operating system. I think it’s fair to say that some similarities are really just inevitable end results of improving the current state of the UI in both platforms.

Vista’s icons are now as slick as its Tiger counterparts, supporting icon sizes of up to 256 by 256 pixels. Tiger on the other hand, currently supports only up to 128 by 128 pixel icons. But Vista takes it even further, using what is called as live icons. A live icon visually resembles the actual contents of the document it represent so that a folder’s live icon is shown as a folder icon padded with the thumbnails of the actual files that you’ll see inside the folder. This is very helpful in skimming through your files and folders without opening them. Tiger can only show previews of graphic files.

In Vista, the “My” way of naming user folders such as My Documents, My Music, etc. has been dropped. Now you will only have user folders named Documents, Music and Pictures. Not unlike what Tiger has.

Aero, the user interface of Vista brings to the Windows world lots of transparencies. Application windows in Vista show a translucent border that lets you see through it. This is a feature that OS X once had, but was taken out in Tiger.

Expose, which is perhaps the most innovative UI feature of Tiger, elegantly addressed the window-management problem most users had, especially those who work with lots of windows open. At the touch of a button or at a flick of the mouse, all your windows are miniaturized and smartly tiled across the screen. Vista offers its own take, with a feature called Flip 3D. In Vista’s version, windows are miniaturized and stacked on top of each other, and angled such that you can see enough of each window’s content distinctively, and you use the scroll wheel to go through all the stacked windows. Tiger’s implementation is more usable and convenient than its Vista counterpart.

Widgets vs Gadgets

In Tiger, the days of opening full-blown applications for simple, specific tasks have long been gone. Thanks to Dashboard. With Dashboard, you can install and run mini-applications called widgets that are specially designed (using a relatively easy language) for certain tasks. Widgets include calculator, stocks, dictionary, yellow pages and many others. At the touch of a button, all these can auto-magically appear when you need them, and as quickly, disappear to let you go back to what you’re doing.

Vista sports the same feature, only the mini-applications are called Gadgets, and the Vista version promises more integration with Microsoft’s online service http://Live.com.

Desktop Search

When Vista was first announced many years ago under the code name Longhorn, one of the most impressive promises that Microsoft made about the new operating system is its desktop search capability. However, Apple beat them to the punch in implementing the much needed search technology (and interface).

Tiger’s spotlight search won the hearts of analysts and reviewers when it debuted in October 2004. Both in the main OS’s shell and in the individual applications, Spotlight brought lightning-fast desktop search to the Apple users. The system-wide Spotlight item on Tiger’s menu bar provided a quick way of opening files and applications. With Spotlight, users didn’t need to know exactly where their files are since they can find and open them using a simple and single user interface - the spotlight search field. Vista’s desktop search also promises all the things that Spotlight has, including its integration with Windows Explorer and Control Panel, in the same way that Spotlight integrates with the Finder and the Preferences. In Vista, the desktop search has been placed in the improved Start Menu. Saved searches (in Vista) or Smart Folders (in Tiger) are different implementation of the same kind of innovative feature that both systems have - a way for creating folders that are defined by a certain search criteria, and the contents of which are files that match that certain criteria. Both are live-z.

Security

This is where Tiger has long beaten Windows, but with Vista, Microsoft want to change that, and perhaps even leapfrog what OS X is offering.

In Vista, Internet Explorer (the source of many security headaches) will run in a low rights mode to prevent malicious software entering through the browser from illegally writing files or changing the registry. Vista will also support computers with TPM (Trusted Platform Module) Chips which starts a computer in a secure way such that the hardware and applications are protected from being run by unauthorized users. One of Tiger’s security strengths, the feature that asks for the administrator password when changing critical preferences, has also found its way to Vista. When changing important settings or files, Vista now warns the users and asks for the administrator password. Both Tiger and Vista has support encrypting data on users’ hard disk.

Conclusion

This article tried to compare some of the different aspects of Windows Vista and OS X Tiger, wherever it made sense, since each has its own way of doing things. Tiger has been out for almost two years now, but still holds up its own against Vista. It’s no doubt that some of the features that Vista is promising are better than its Tiger counterpart, but Vista won’t be out until 2007, and by the same time Apple probably would no doubt have at least shown its latest weapon, the upcoming Apple OS X Leopard.

Microsoft has designated 2 levels of compatibility for the Windows Vista release. These 2 levels refer to hardware that will support Windows Vista to varying degrees. These levels are designated Windows Vista Capable and Windows Vista Premium.

Windows Vista Capable PC

Windows Vista capable, means that your present hardware meets the absolute minimum requirements install and run Windows Vista.

A modern processor (at least 800MHz).

512 MB of system memory.

A graphics processor that is DirectX 9 capable, with a minimum of 64mb of RAM.

Windows Vista Premium Ready PC

A Windows Vista Premium Ready PC, means your hardware meets the minimum requirements to use most additional features of Windows Vista that enhances the user experience. In other words, the higher minimum requirements will improve the system performance and enhance advanced media such as Windows Aero. These are the recommended minimum requirements.

1 GHz 32-bit (x86) or 64-bit (x64) processor). 1 GB of system memory.Support for DirectX 9 graphics with a WDDM driver, 128 MB of graphics memory (minimum), Pixel Shader 2.0 and 32 bits per pixel.

40 GB of hard drive capacity with 15 GB free space.DVD-ROM Drive.Audio output capability.Internet access capability.

Summary

The biggest difference between Windows Vista and Windows XP are the system memory and video requirements. Windows XP will run well with 128 MB video card and 1 GB of system RAM. Ironically that should be considered the minimum to install Windows Vista.

Windows Vista is much more graphic intensive than Windows XP and creates a richer media experience. Of course these requirements increase the cost of hardware needed to run Windows Vista. For those who have been dragging there feet on the video and RAM front have the media creators and PC gamers to blame for the extra cost.

If you have read some of my other computer articles or guides you will already know that I never recommend using advertised minimum hardware requirements. When you read the words “minimum requirements”, the bare minimum is what you get. Any time you upgrade a PC to the minimum recommended requirements the results will always be a disappointing.

With that in mind, my recommendations for installing Windows Vista are the following.

2 GHz +, 64 bit or Duel Core processor (Intel Duo Core or AMD X2 for Gaming)2 GB +, of matching system RAM

256 MB +, ATI or nVidia graphics card (not integrated on board)

40 GB +, Hard Disk (15 GB free space required for Vista install)

CD-DVD ROM

Other required hardware should be obvious.

Take note that video integrated on to the motherboard is NOT recommended. Integrated video uses system RAM which robs your system of resources and increases your memory requirements. Also there are add-on video cards that use system RAM and have very little memory of there own. When buying an add-on video card read the memory specifications very carefully.

Windows Vista will run smoothly on a PC meeting these recommendations. Most users will only need to upgrade their video card and add system RAM. Windows Vista supports most of the same hardware that Windows XP supports. Motherboards, Modems, Ethernet, Hard Disks and other common hardware in use today are supported.

Windows Vista - Which version of Vista best suited for my needs

Windows Vista has been designed for the use of people ranging from the student or housewife who need an Operating system that enables them to just browse the Internet and send and receive mails to people who are in highly technical professions. There are four different versions of Windows Vista to choose from. This does bring with it as dilemma of which version one should invest in. Each of the six versions has different functionality and this raises the risk of buying the wrong version of Windows Vista. Buy too low a version and you will not have the functionality you might require a while down the line.

Even though Vista has been hard pushed to the shelves by Microsoft there seems to be a lot of apprehension in the market among people when it comes to upgrading to Windows Vista. Vista is still in it’s infant stages and might take a while, like XP, to catch on. However, if you are deciding on which of the four versions to buy then you will do good to go for the Premium version for home use. This version has a lot of multimedia features that are present in XP but are revamped to the limit. The four versions available are:

Home Basic

Home Premium

Business

Ultimate

Now it is anybody’s guess that the first three versions of Vista will lack some of the features that the ultimate version of Windows Vista will have. In fact, the ultimate version will have all the combined features of the first three versions and will naturally cost more. So if you just want an operating system that is fire walled and offers some protection from virus attacks over the net then go for the home basic version. If you want to make DVD’ and movies then get the premium version. The business version ironically leaves out the features such as DVD maker, Data protection and photos and entertainment. However, these features are easily available in third party packs. So if you are hell bent on upgrading to Vista if for nothing else but a change of looks, then go for the Ultimate version - Just to be safe.

I have heard it time and again, from computer users both experienced and new. “Windows Vista is terrible, you should stick with XP.” Is it true? Is Vista really the nightmare that everyone says it is?

I have been using Vista on my laptop for over a year now, and can you guess how many crashes I have experienced with it? One. That’s right, Vista has crashed on me exactly one time. It wasn’t a complete, blue screen of death crash either. The taskbar at the bottom of the screen went kind of funny and I had to reboot because I couldn’t properly click on anything in the taskbar. After a reboot it was fine.

A vast majority of the problems I have heard about with Vista are problems on upgraded versions and not fresh installs. Also, many of the problems are about hardware incompatibility. So here is my advice. Don’t try to use your 10 year old printer with Vista, and don’t try to run Vista on your old PC that has 512 MB and RAM.

On the flip-side of the coin, yes Vista is a resource hog. It will run on 1 GB of RAM but it is slow and really chugs along. I recommend a minimum of 2 GB of RAM whereas Windows XP ran quite comfortably on 128 MB. From what I have seen from the beta of Windows 7, the resource requirements are definitely less.

People complain quite vociferously about having to give permission for Windows Vista to do almost anything such as install a program, run a new program, change settings etc but these warnings lessen over time and what many people do not know is that you can disable many of these warnings. I see these warnings still, but they are few and far between so it really is a bit of an exaggeration.

So, is Vista really the disaster people make it out to be? Not even close. Yes it hogs resources, yes the sidebar is annoying but it can be shut down at any time, and yes it is far from perfect but the Vista complaints, in my opinion, are more about people loving to jump on Microsoft for anything that they do than it is about actual problems with the Operating System.

When Windows 7 comes out, I will likely make the switch, but for now, Vista is just fine by me.

What is an Operating System? A good answer would be “A set of programs that provide a GUI to interact with various devices in a computer”. This definition would hold good until a few years back, when an operating system is just a few icons and menus that you see when you switch on your computer. Operating systems provided file and device management using a Basic GUI.

But with the development of computers, operating systems also evolved a lot. From simple file and device management solution, modern day operating systems should be stable and secure the data stored on a computer. The data stored on a computer can be anything from music, movies and photos to data that you have generated and stored in different files. It takes only a small virus, a power surge or a device failure to destroy data.

Today’s operating systems try to anticipate such scenarios and issue warning messages and take pro-active steps to minimize the data loss. I would talk about Windows XP and Windows Vista because 80% of computers run on Windows Operating system and Windows Vista is an upgrade to Windows XP.

Windows XP has been around for 8 years now and in considered one of the best operating systems released by Microsoft. When Windows XP was released it was considered a resource hogger. Windows XP required 128 MB of RAM to run smoothly. And there are many complaints from long installation times to frequent crashes. Microsoft released Service Pack 1 and things changed. Most of the security holes are fixed and Windows XP became stable. Windows XP was built to give a better user experience by easy installation and plug & play capability.

After a few years with XP, internet threats have grown and Microsoft started bundling Anti-spyware products along with Windows XP. This didn’t help much, and since Windows XP is the most used, hackers tried to find ways to break into Windows XP systems. This triggered the need for a more secure operating system and there came Windows Vista into picture.

Some of the problems with Windows XP are that password protection is not secure enough, users can use Bootable live CD’s like miniPE or Road Starter to bypass Passwords and access the file system. The other major issue is Internet Explorer 6 which is the number one target for hackers. By exploiting the security homes in IE6 hackers can take control of IE and hence the Windows XP box. And last but not least, when you try to search for a file under Windows XP, you have a terribly slow search tool.

Now its Windows Vista which is structurally more robust and is much more visually appealing. Vista comes with Encrypted File System (EFS) which takes care of file level security. Vista allows one to encode an entire partition or hard disk with just a few clicks. In Windows Vista Internet Explorer runs with restricted permission. If a malicious piece of code enters the system through the browser it cannot do much harm, since Vista simply refuses to permit to run it. File Searching has improved a lot with Vista.

But 2 of the night mares with Vista are getting your old hardware running and the annoying popup prompting you to allow or block any action you have performed.

The newly launched operating system known as Windows Vista has become one of the most desired operating systems to date. All of the new computers that are bought will come preloaded with it on but many people will want to upgrade from Windows XP to Vista. There are certain things you should check before you make that upgrade, first you need to see if your computer is capable of running Windows Vista. You can do this by running the Microsoft program which will give you a report of everything that will and won’t work if you were to upgrade, this can save you lots of time and money in the long run. If you wish to run this software you can download it for free off of the internet so you don’t need to spend any money up front.

Be sure to review this report with great detail, if it says that your computer is capable of running Windows Vista there are certain features that may not be able to work. One of the main factors that will not be support is your video card. Vista uses the new ‘Aero’ interface which may not be compatible with many older video cards. If it was to come back and say you cannot support the ‘Aero’ interface you can still use Vista at its basic level but you will be missing out on the new features that make Vista stand out.

If you were to do this you could always upgrade your video card and upgrade your Vista package to take advantage of the full features so you don’t have to spend a lot of money in order to be able to support the ‘Aero’ interface. You will agree that it was money well spent!

You cannot install the upgrade version of Vista after you have formatted your hard drive, this features has been took off. If you want to do this you will have to have the full version of Windows Vista which will enable you to start from scratch.

Unless you are someone who rushes out and purchases all that is new in the world, most gurus would recommend wait and watch policy as far as Windows Vista is concerned. What you must do is allow early adopters to cut their teeth on the system and give verdicts on what is right and what needs correction or is disappointing. Think:

1. Whether your existing computer system will satisfy Vistas hard ware needs. There are two options where Windows Vista is concerned a system that is Windows Vista capable and one that is Vista premium ready. The Windows Vista premium needs a 1GH processor, a1GB and more RAM, and top quality graphics/video card. Before you leap to upgrade your system read through the Windows Vista Hardware needs at:

http://www.microsoft.com/technet/windowsvista/evaluate/hardware/vistarpc.mspx .

2. Examine your existing system and determine whether you will need the Home Basic, Home Premium, Business, Enterprise, or Ultimate version of Vista. Each is vastly different and satisfies different needs. The Business edition is expected to be comparable to XPPro.

3. Licensing in the case of Windows Vista is expected to be complicated and Microsoft has not announced final notifications yet.

4. When you think Vista you need to simultaneously consider application compatibility. Find out in detail what will be compatible and what will not. Consider things like upgrade or fixing of programs.

5. Network Infrastructure needs may change with installation of Vista. You may need to consider IPv6.

6. Weigh carefully why you need Vista and all its much promoted features. Remember installing a new system means learning time and kinks to be worked on. Are you tech-savvy enough to wrestle with brand new technology?

On August 29th for a brief moment one got a glimpse of Windows Vista pricing on Microsoft’s Canadian Web site. The Home Basic Edition is priced on level with Windows XP and will retail at pounds 112.62. The Home Premium Version with tablet PC advantages and Media Center was priced 13% higher at pounds 141.57. This discovery was made by blogger Ed Bott who posted the pricing on ZDNET.com posting.

Remember with upgrades data is at risk. Often time is lost in adjusting to anew system. You also need to think about back ups and training of all computer users at home and at work. And most important is the cost of purchasing Windows Vista and the cost of upgrades, training, and more.

Analysts at Gartner according to a ZDNet article advised in November 2005 that one should wait until 2008 to gauge the accurate situation. Experts recommend to avoid “vista ready” and only consider Windows Vista in ***** new Pcs.

So, while the pluses and minuses are in debate it is important for users to wait and watch and only join the Vista User group when the system is up and running with all kinks ironed out. According to industry watchers Vista is all set to be released either end 2006 or by Easter 2007.

Computer troubled with the Vista blue screen? It is also appropriately called the Vista blue screen of death (BSOD). If you have ever had the unfortunate pleasure of having to deal with it you know why it has that name. Your computer suddenly freezes up displaying a windows blue screen with a bunch of computer language on it. Then your CPU reboots while you lose whatever you were working on or doing at the time. The problem can be a huge pain in the neck. But how do we fix this dreaded Vista blue screen of death? Well first we have to figure out what is causing it. It is usually one of two things:

You were running too many programs at once. This is perhaps the most common and easiest symptom to deal with. The solution is simple. Run less programs or add additional RAM to your computers physical memory.

The other cause is a little more complicated to fix but there are easy solutions if you have the right software.

You have errors in your Windows Vista registry. The registry is the lifeblood of your system. It contains data to run all software and hardware on your computer. So obviously when things go wrong with the registry it can cause major problems.

Unfortunately Windows Vista does not have any internal mechanism to fix corrupt registry errors. The Vista blue screen errors will simply get worse and worse until something is done to clean up registry problems.

Fortunately I have found a program that can fix the Windows Vista blue screen error quite easily. I actually consider it the best registry cleaner for Vista. Not only can it fix the Vista blue screen of death, it also has an optimization feature to speed up your computer tremendously. Scan your computer for free and see if there are any errors you need fixed.

There has been so much talk about Windows Vista but it seems that the house is divided. It seems inevitable for users to move up to a higher operating system but some are simply not willing to concede and surrender XP. If you look closely at the abundant blogs in the internet, many are filled with reasons why not to buy Vista. On the other hand, there can be some good reasons to buy too. Naturally, we all want to be updated and move with the changes in technology. Other than this soon to be mandatory reason however, Vista actually has its charm and potential for usefulness. You should therefore get Vista for some good reasons.

User Interface

The new user interface is not only appealing to the eyes but easier to use and simply pulsating with life. Enhanced navigation includes live thumbnails and flip 3D features as well as various animated effects. Operating system messages are better written, understandable, more positive and more accurate. In many ways, the Vista interface experience has more depth, almost like interacting with a live creature.

Instant Search

Some simply see Vista as possessed with a degree of intuition when it comes to performing searches. The Vista Instant Search is of course faster than previous search function versions. Aside from the speed though, Instant Search is system-wide and can automatically perform its function at the start menu, control panel and Windows Explorer. It will also allow indexing through user determined data and categories.

Multimedia Applications

Any new Vista user will rejoice at the wealth of possibilities with Vista multimedia features. Windows Media Player for example features stacking and media sharing with other computers. Windows Movie Maker and Windows DVD Maker are also wonderful features. The former allows editing HD and DVR-MS videos and DVD burning. The latter supports DVD creation. Photo enthusiasts will also be glad with the new Photo Gallery which will let you manage, organize, edit, print and rate your photo files.

Parental Control

Parents now have an extra reason to give thanks. Now, parents can be away from home and not worry about their kids going over restrictions. With Vista, parents can block specific websites and content based on category or type and can even prevent downloads. Parents can also specify time limits on account use.

Internet Explorer 7

Probably one of the best features of the new Internet Explorer is better privacy and security. With the new technology used in Internet Explorer 7, users can actually be kept secure from websites with doubtful intent. The new Internet Explorer will also stop code from a third party from reaching you.

Meeting Space

Another great reason to buy Windows Vista is because of its peer-to-peer collaboration feature which will let users interact and share with members of a network. Desktops, work and messages can now be easily passed from one member to another.

Windows Defender

If you’ve had some terrible encounters with spyware in the past, then Windows Defender on Vista may be the best answer for you. Aside from scanning for spyware, it will also give you feedback on changes because of spyware.

Windows came out in the 90’s as the principle operating system for IBM computers. In the early days, Windows was hardly able to do more than a few tasks, however today’s Windows versions dwarf earlier versions in comparison. Windows 95 was probably one of the most popular versions, until it was replaced by 98, ME, and then finally XP. Windows XP is still used by a variety of businesses and individuals because of its reliability and ease of use. However, this is slowly starting to change thanks to Windows Vista, which was released several years ago after many years of development and design.

Windows Vista, which was code named “Longhorn” during the design process, has changed the way that Windows looks forever. Along with adding functionality for 64 bit systems, Windows Vista has also turned Windows into a home entertainment system that can stream audio and video anywhere that you have wireless access. Vista’s goal was to make more advanced features easier to use by novice computer users, and for the most part they succeeded with that goal.

Most of the advanced functions in Windows XP were made easier to find and easier to use in Vista, which has made it very popular with that type of user. However, many advanced users have complained of the “bulkiness” of the software and the resources that it uses in complex tasks. However, many of these complaints can be solved by simply adding more RAM to a computer, which is the case anytime you introduce a more complex operating system.

While the jury is still out on Windows Vista, it is the primary operating system sold with every new PC and laptop purchase across the world, and so like it or not users are becoming used to using it. My favorite part about Windows Vista is the ease of networking and the flexible design of the software. It also supports much faster and more powerful computer systems far better than the previous versions of Windows did. If you are looking to upgrade your system to a 64 bit chip, then buying Windows Vista is a no brainer. If you’ve got the money available, then I recommend 2GB of RAM at a minimum for Vista, otherwise you might experience slight delays in processing. Although you can find cheaper systems at the 1GB RAM range, I wouldn’t recommend going that route.

Windows Vista may have its share of skeptics and doubters, but most of that is just the resistance to change. Most people get comfortable with the way they’ve been doing things and introducing a new way to do them takes time to get used to. Still, if you use Vista for just a few months you will find that it has a wealth of new features and functionality that is overall an improvement for most users. Windows Vista has a few versions, so make sure that you buy the one that will work on your computer hardware. Most new systems have it installed already, so that shouldn’t be an issue for you. If you buy a Windows Vista machine and don’t like it, Microsoft offers the option of switching back to XP. However, I bet that 75% of Windows users will much prefer Vista to XP in the end.