Windows Vista

[12noon]

As far as i know in about six to nine months time Windows Vista will be ready for people to buy.
 
There are six main versions of Vista (this could change).
Home Basic
The home Basic version of Windows Vista offers a basic operating system with no control over the security and drivers, but with a parental control and monitoring feature.

Home Premium
Home Premium edition will be the mainstream consumer product, with an enhanced user interface, built-in Windows Media Center (providing DVD burning, video editing, and picture editing) and Tablet PC support.

Ultimate
Ultimate is a mixed business and consumer version targeted at small owner-managers and consumers. It combines all of Home (Premium and Basic), Business, and Enterprise variants. It does not, however, support volume licensing, and has no group policy, thus it is clearly aimed at installation on a single or small number of PCs only.

Business
The mainstream Business version of Vista includes support for desktops and mobiles, and it has the choice of 32- or 64-bit, selectable at deployment rather than point of purchase. There is also a new small business feature section, including advanced back-up, fax and scan, and a specially developed help feature for non-technical owner managers.

Enterprise
The Enterprise version is the same as Business edition but aimed at global users or businesses with complex IT infrastructures. It is only available to users with annuity agreements (Enterprise Agreement or Software Assurance) and is available at no extra cost.

News taken from : http://www.computerweekly.com
 

Also i've read that Windows Vista will not support EFI.
EFI (Extensible Firmware Interface) was designed to replace the BIOS system. Apple is already using EFI in its new Intel powered systems.
 

Are you all looking forward to Windows Vista ?
It will either have great support from business wanting to upgrade or it will have bisinuss not knowing what to do and even thinking about finding other operating systems. I'm not sure what home users will make of it !

[SensoVision]

Are you all looking forward to Windows Vista ?

nor me although it's nice that Vista would be finally released as it's long awaited by many people, hopefully it brings real improvements not just cosmetic ones. And become more flexible than it's now(as system which delayed from release so many times clearly show how inflexible it's).
I also look forward it to appear on the market as it probably make Linux desktop developers compete with new version more actively

[12noon]

The first thing you will ask yourself when thinking about upgrading to Vista is does the software i've paid for run on the new OS ? If yes, then thats OK, but if your software doesn't work, then you've also got to buy all the software again.

If your running Windows XP, do you need to upgrade to Windows Vista ? I think i would stick with Windows XP until other people have tested it out and found out how safe it is. I can imagine patches being given out just months after it goes on sale.

What version of Windows Vista should you buy ? I wouldn't go for the home Basic version, it just doesn't sound good enough to me. I'd want the Ultimate version or better, but i can imagine the cost being silly.

I can imagine a few people jumping ship and moving over to Linux instead of upgrading to Vista. Then again Vista will be advertised like crazy and people will want to try it, just so they can say they have got it and use it. It will be like a buzz word soon.

[Queen Bee]

If your running Windows XP, do you need to upgrade to Windows Vista ? I think i would stick with Windows XP until other people have tested it out and found out how safe it is. I can imagine patches being given out just months after it goes on sale.

Those are my sentiments as well. Windows Vista does look especially nice, though.

[Andy]

I read a horror story about Vista encorporating Output Content Protection where for example videos will be fuzzy unless your monitor has built in hardware content protection. So you will need to buy a new monitor 

Protected Video Path - Output Protection Management (PVP-OPM) makes sure that the PC's video outputs have the required protection or that they are turned off if such protection is not available.

Also, sound cards will have to be incable of looping back audio to bypass digital encryption.

http://www.microsoft.com/whdc/device/stream/output_protect.mspx

So I will stick with XP as long as possible or switch to Linux 

I'm fed up with upgrading hardware. Finally, I thought I have all the computing power I need where even my laptop is capable of video editing and my desktop has hard disks so big they may never get full. So I won't ever need to upgrade again LOL

[SensoVision]

I've heard something like this as well, and from what I know Vista would be really hardware hungry and will not run well on old hardware. I think Microsoft could go for such step since they already have sufficient financial base and could afford such risk as forcing people to upgrade their PCs to be taken.

So I will stick with XP as long as possible or switch to Linux 

I'm fed up with upgrading hardware. Finally, I thought I have all the computing power I need where even my laptop is capable of video editing and my desktop has hard disks so big they may never get full. So I won't ever need to upgrade again LOL

I'm sure that you're not the only one in this and more people stay on XP, go Mac or Linux as last wouldn't play such tricks as Microsoft did to their people since it's created by people who use it and doesn't have as main aim earning money from what they do, just wish to get good program they can use.

[12noon]

Those are my sentiments as well. Windows Vista does look especially nice, though.

When it goes on sale, i bet that's the main selling point. It will sell more on looks and the fact that computer users always want the latest software even though the old software they have got still works and does the job they want it to do. It's just one of those things.

[ashishm6]

i heard that its a huge resources hog, with very high recomended system requirements....
anyways i am not going near one till they release a service pack for this... although if i do start using it, i think i will go for vista ultimate.

[Hope]

I have found that every time M$ comes out with a new OS, I need to go out and buy a new computer to accomodate it. Each version of Windows seems to need a faster CPU and double the RAM I have. At home I am still on Win2000 because I won't go out and get a better system. I  think I will wait until Vista comes out before I get a new computer. Then will be a laptop.

[SensoVision]

Heidi, have you ever considered switching to Linux? It's become easier and easier to use, doesn't ask you to get new devices after each upgrade and have alternative program for almost any task.

[Hope]

I have not. Mostly because I would have to purchase a bunch of software that I already have for Windows. I am fine with my old OS. It still works and to be honest, I find it a heck of a lot more stable than XP.

[SensoVision]

Actually I'm not sure to what programs you may refer to since most software under Linux is free unless you're in 3D modelling business for example and wish to use Maya, or maybe some other specialized program. You can also use most of your Windows software(including MS Office, Macromedia Flash, Photoshop and many other popular products if buy CrossOver Office package, it's commercial flavour of Wine, BTW free version is also capable to run most prgrams including Photoshop and Flash) if have nostalgy about it or can't find suitable replacement. Anyway it's your descision and I don't wish to force you to anything.

Reagrding W2K I also find it as most stable Windows ever made, if I still be using MS I would use Windows 2000.

[Mikey]

I never had much luck with this product on Linux but if you have alot of windows software you want to use on linux, you can use Wine.  It allows you to run windows applications on linux.  Also from what I understand, the new vista version is suppose to run more efficiently than xp and faster.  Microsoft says applications you use most will be kind of preloaded during startup or something so that when your ready to run the programs you run all the time, they are ready to go in an instant.  It even learns your computing habbits.  say you always use word on the weekend and photo software on tuesday.  vista will remember that and will have word ready to start quickly on the weekend and on tuesday, your photo software will be set as the higher priority so thats ready to go in an instant.  So they are comming up with some interesting ideas.

[Andy]

I would be really keen on speed increases. I have been using Windows software for years and keeping pace with the hardware but I can't say I experienced much increase in speed so far. I really long for the day when my software starts as fast as that software running in my 10 year old calculator without any crashes or hang-ups.

[SensoVision]

Also from what I understand, the new vista version is suppose to run more efficiently than xp and faster.

does anyone remeber that MS ever told that new version would be drawback in effeciency or run a bit more slower or be a bit more buggy than previous one ?

Microsoft says applications you use most will be kind of preloaded during startup or something so that when your ready to run the programs you run all the time, they are ready to go in an instant.  It even learns your computing habbits.  say you always use word on the weekend and photo software on tuesday.  vista will remember that and will have word ready to start quickly on the weekend and on tuesday, your photo software will be set as the higher priority so thats ready to go in an instant.  So they are comming up with some interesting ideas.

from one side it's good idea which was propogated by some companies for ages, they issue programs which upload frequently running software during start but if say truth it doesn't really speed up my system... maybe I've just try wrong program?
But I see potential drawback in this technology, IMHO having software preloaded during startup would:
1. make OS boot longer
2. require more RAM
3. if you low on RAM it would start to use swap ad probabl slow down performance of overall system
So I prefer to waste few more seconds instead of having programs running slower after I start my PC.
Also I think that programs really run faster on Vista since it would require upgrading your PC and most likely your new hardware would be a bit faster than previous one
Anyway I didn't tried Vista myself and maybe MS programmers did magic and everything would work not like I said but just like seen on TV.
Let's see...