Which Vista is right for you?

by: Shirona Gunawardhana

According to Mr. Gates of Microsoft, 90% of us computer users use Windows. Also according to him we should all be using or getting ready to use the latest operating system, Windows Vista, from Microsoft. Now the questions - who should really upgrade and which version is the right version for your use - Standard, Basic, Home Premium, Business, Enterprise or Ultimate?

If you are using the latest version of Windows XP Professional, and are up to date on the patches, don't rush for an upgrade unless you are buying a new computer or are an IT professional developing technology based on the Vista platform.

You may not have noticed but Windows XP also has many versions - Standard, Home, Professional, Enterprise, Tablet PC and Windows Media Center. Very few people use the Standard Version and Enterprise is for the very large enterprises. So I will skip them in my review.

Windows Vista Basic is the upgrade over Windows XP Home with fewer crashes, brand new interface and improved security. You will also get limited access to Windows Mobility Center and Meeting Place. What you do not get is Pluggable log-in authentication architecture, Aero, Rights Management Services (RMS) Client, Tablet PC, DVD Maker, Media Center, Movie Maker regular/HD, Domain join for Windows Small Business Server, Encrypting File System, Integrated smart card management, Group Policy support, Roaming user profiles, Virtual PC Express, BitLocker Drive Encryption, Fax and Scan and ShadowCopy.

Windows Vista Home Premium is the upgrade for previous Windows XP Media Center with fewer crashes, brand new interface, improved security and graphics improvements including DirectX for gaming. You will also get limited access to Windows Mobility Center. What you do not get is Domain join for Windows Small Business Server, Encrypting File System, Integrated smart card management, Group Policy support, Roaming user profiles, Virtual PC Express, BitLocker Drive Encryption, Fax and Scan and ShadowCopy.

Windows Vista Business is the upgrade for previous Windows XP Professional & Tablet PC with fewer crashes, brand new interface and improved security. This is the version I recommend to my customers. What you do not get is DVD Maker, Media Center and Movie Maker regular/HD that are not essential for a business professional.

Windows Ultimate has all features of Basic, Home Premium, Business and some extras for a hefty price. Most systems sold by custom pc makers, HP, Toshiba, Dell and Lenova does not come with Ultimate installed. Microsoft recommends a $199 upgrade Ultimate from Home Premium and Business.

Visit Microsoft Vista website for all features and comparisons.

source:searchwarp.com/

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Ten Features from Windows XP Not Appearing in Vista

by Marko Hammond

XML Shockingly, some user tests show that .net applications simply run faster in XP than in Vista. If you have to process great amounts of data on .net applications, you may get frustrated with Vista. Users feel that in this respect, Vista only beats XP in the "looks" category. XP is still on top on the aspect of performance.

Shell XPs Luna shell has now been dethroned by Vista's Aero. The elegant 3D look and feel of Aero is probably an effective marketing strategy for average users. Experts point out however that a shell is still a shell and does not show real system capabilities. The Luna shell may have looked plain but it did not point to XPs real performance ability.

Battery Life In another user comparative test, the battery life of laptops seemed to have held on much longer with XP than with Vista. Vista's heavy graphics apparently drain more energy than the simpler XP graphics.

Icons and Tumbnails XPs static icons have now gone six feet under with the introduction of Vista's live icons and thumbnails. This is good right? Some users feel though that there was absolutely nothing wrong with the unresponsive icons of XP. Again, this is more an issue of superficiality. Live icons and thumbnails don't mean anything on the performance arena.

Sounds Users apparently put a lot of thought on system sounds. This is because some feel that sounds can better communicate computer generated messages like battery low or log on or off. XPs grand, booming sound is no longer around. It ha been replaced by more soft and subtle sounds that some users do not find indicative of whatever the system wants to say.

Boot It is surprising to note that XP seems to boot faster than Vista in some cases. People, of course, want to know why and are wondering if there are also other things that are slower in Vista.

Hardware Requirements The best thing that is in XP that is not in Vista is that it has lower hardware requirements. Vista is simply too high end in everything. This means that if you have a unit that cannot live up to what is required then you should just forget Vista unless you like having headaches. Users therefore who use their units for basic actions do not need to replace XP at all.

Mail XPs Outlook Express is no longer around. It is still questionable however, if Windows Mail can really do any better as some claim it should.

Photos The Picture and Fax Viewer of XP are no longer around. Vista now has Photo Gallery. For ordinary users however, there seems to be no sense in improving the Picture Viewer if all you wanted was to keep pictures. Major editing is still commonly done with other kinds of software.

Search XP had no indexing feature to help with searches. XP is generally slow with searches. Computers for ordinary use however, do not always need the fast indexed searches provided by Vista.

source:www.goarticles.com

No Comment | Posted in » Aero, features, window xp, Windows Vista