Is Vista For You?

[Guest empire]

Microsoft announced today the various versions of its upcoming operating system, Vista. There shall be 6 releases (3 home and 2 business 1 general) in both 32 and 64 bit issues, making a total of 12 total choices for consumers.

 

Will you upgrade to Vista or hold off on a planned computer purchase till the new o/s is released at year end?

 

Below are Microsofts description of the Vista versions.

 

Windows Vista Home Basic: For consumers that want to simply use the PC to browse the Internet, correspond with friends and family over email or perform basic document creation and editing tasks, Windows Vista Home Basic will deliver a safer, more reliable and more productive computing environment.

 

Windows Vista Home Premium: Will help consumers utilize mobile or desktop PC functionality more effectively while enabling the enjoyment of new, exciting digital entertainment experiences – all with the benefit of added security and reliability. Windows Vista Home Premium includes everything in Windows Vista Home Basic, plus the Windows Vista Aero™ and Media Center and Tablet PC capabilities.

 

Windows Vista Ultimate: Windows Vista Ultimate is the edition of Windows Vista that has it all. It is the first operating system that brings together all of the consumer-oriented features available in Windows Vista Home Premium with all of the business-oriented features available in Windows Vista Business.

 

Two versions will cater to businesses:

 

Windows Vista Business: For small to medium size businesses, Windows Vista Business will help keep PCs running smoothly and securely so they are less reliant on dedicated IT support. For larger organizations, Windows Vista Business will provide dramatic new infrastructure improvements that will enable IT staff to spend less time focused on day to day maintenance of PCs and more time adding strategic value to the organization.

 

Windows Vista Enterprise: To better address the needs of large, global organizations and those with highly complex IT infrastructures, Windows Vista Enterprise is designed to significantly lower IT costs and risk. In addition to all of the features available in Windows Vista Business, Windows Vista Enterprise is designed to provide higher levels of data protection using hardware-based encryption technology.

 

And one version will target particularly price-sensitive parts of the world:

 

Windows Vista Starter: Helps users in emerging technology countries be more successful by providing an affordable, easy to learn and use computing experience. It is compatible with latest applications and devices, and more reliable and secure because it is part of the Windows Vista family of products.

[+ deej]

One of the biggest selling points for Vista will never make the marketing materials. They've added a new API that applications can hook into for "restart without losing changes". It's a pretty honkin' great feature! If the power goes out, your machine will come back up with all your applications open and all your unsaved changes in place.

 

Of course, to take advantage of it, you have to upgrade all your applications when they've been upgraded to take advantage of it. :-(

 

Most people who already have a PC probably SHOULDN'T do this as an upgrade. MS hasn't released complete hardware specs for it yet, and chances are good that anything you already own won't have the horsepower for Vista. Among other things, it may operate (I hesitate to use the word "run") in the amount of memory you have now, but Vista will really WANT more.

 

If you're considering buying a new PC for Vista, I'd advise waiting as long as absolutely possible -- up to the release date if you can. Until it ships, the hardware requirements are subject to change.

[SAdler]

I got to play with Vista @ CES this year

 

It has some great new features. It ran like a dream but what I loved the most was that all those fun features that I secretly like on Macs, were there in Vista.

 

Essentially though is was pretty much the same as XP with a couple new fun aesthetic features. But yes, it is somthing I'm definitely getting as soon as a non beta is available to me

[Guest roadhoundnyc]

Why wait for microsoft to copy what apple did a year or two ago?

GET A MAC.

[SAdler]

LOL because they always make it better. Idiot proof doesn't necessarily always mean superior

 

I'll give macs their due when it comes to graphics and such but other than that ... I just dont see a comparison

[OneFinger]

RE: Is vista for you? Nope, it will be Linux.

 

Anton,

 

I have a very savvy relative who prefers Linux. He swears by it.

 

On the other hand, he still maintains a Windows PC because there are some things Linux programs can't do. However, he'd love to completely run on Linux.

 

But on the original question, I got to agree with others that Vista needs to go through a shake-out period. I'd never go with a new OS during the first year of availability.

 

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"We need to have more respect for each other. Things have just gone really crazy, out of control. ... We're on a very weird kind of cycle." Stevie Wonder

[OneFinger]

I've never used a MAC so I don't know the pros or cons. But I did find this video clip and seems to summerize the Windows vs MAC issues.

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iNfHbJiZk0U

 

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"We need to have more respect for each other. Things have just gone really crazy, out of control. ... We're on a very weird kind of cycle." Stevie Wonder