As a computer repair specialist, its important for me to keep on the cutting edge of technology so I can support my clients. Ive been using the new operating system from Microsoft; Windows Vista for over a month. So, how does Vista compare to past operating systems?
This is one of the better operating system releases that Microsoft has done in recent years. Its definitely just a little better, and a little different than Windows XP, but not vastly different.
One thing that I was happy about, is that for once it seems that Microsoft has released a product that is stable from day one. I have been using Vista for over a month, and I have yet to see it crash. Compared to my Windows XP system which crashes at least once a month.
The User Interface is probably the most improved and most altered. Things are just a little more transparent. And its just a little easier to multi-task. Its easy to have multiple windows up, each doing different tasks. One of my favorite innovations is when you hover over the tasks on the bottom taskbar, it gives you a small thumbnail of what that page looks like. This is perfect for having a few browsers open, and finding the exact page you wanted without having to open all of them.
What I found surprising is the voice recognition capabilities of Vista. I hadnt expected that it would be so robust. It takes a little bit of getting used to, but you can effortlessly blend normal computer operation with voice control. Its not perfect, dont get me wrong, but it is a novel way to interact with the computer and has tons of potential.
The problem is hardware requirements. Vista is a beast when it comes to hardware. The more you got the better it performs. I find that Vista loves memory, and a fast video card is essential as well. I wouldnt bother with Vista unless I had a computer that was made in the last year or so that had at least 1GB of memory. I played with it, when I took most of my memory out, and left 256MB in the machine, and it almost ground to a halt.
So after one month of Vista, I have to say, Im pretty pleased. Its a very fine release from Microsoft that I believe will prove to be quite popular. Its probably not worth it to spend money to upgrade as its not that different from XP. But, is a great choice for any new computers that you purchase.
By: David Smith