Why Change To Windows Vista: Part 3 of 4

Why Change To Windows Vista: Part 3 of 4 We are almost there, this is part 3 of 4. Actually it has somewhat more meat than Part 2, but once again starts trailing off towards the last few reasons covered by the Tennessee Mountain Man today. Computer man can't help but wonder if a third grader actually did prepare Microsoft's reasons to smile or upgrade to Vista. Enjoy. MS#51. "Because you live to play" The Tennessee Mountain Man actually wishes Microsoft had this one right for the average American. But, alas Americans play less than the citizenry of most other countries. Outsourced computer repair techs, unlike the money moguls at Microsoft, recognizes it now takes two people working not only full time but over time to feed and clothe the family. "Because we love to play", may have been more accurate; but living to play? Americans have long proven their propensity to live for work unfortunately. Remote helpdesk 1 is the proof in the pudding! Who has time for computer games? As to whether Windows Vista makes the games easier, faster, more fun....give me a break. MS#52. " Take control of game time" Kudos !! MS#53. "Because you can get more done when you work together" Microsoft's brain storming appears to have produced great and long followed general rules for success in any endeavor. "The house divided against itself cannot stand". Mutual cooperation on the job, in sports, or in family affairs goes a long way. As to inviting people to work with you on projects over the Internet, a company network, or an ad-hoc wireless network....We had been doing that for years... long before Windows XP was corrupted to come up with Windows Vista simply to enrich Microsoft coffers. MS#54. "Stay entertained wherever you go" Some of these remind old online computer repair geezers of some of the motel ads on TV. Come On!!!!!!!!!! Wow! Online helpdesk would have never thought of that little trick before Vista and without the help of Bill Gates! N E X T !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! MS#55. "Because success tomorrow starts today" Amen!!!!! Today is the first day of the rest of your life, but P L E A S E get a life. Hopefully not after Microsoft's blueprint. The rest of this reason, like most of their reasoning, appears to be little more than someone "making work" or needing to fill newspaper space. Speaking of needing to get a life! MS#56. "Print what you see" Hogwash!!!! Unlike the rest of mankind, apparently Microsoft never heard of Windows 3 or the "print screen" command. MS#57. "Because you don't need a PC to watch your home movies" Really? Can you say Kodak? How about Polaroid? Well, don't! Outsourced it services still needs the online pc repair work. MS#58. "Fill your home with music" Yes, please! Music soothes the savage beast! Maybe Microsoft needs something besides elevator music, however. We used to do that with a radio which had a red light that burned when the radio was on. As a lad the Tennessee Mountain Man used to set for hours with an eye glued to that light watching radio shows. Those were the days!!! Dacomputerman knows all about that! That was all before WMP 11 and Microsoft's control over his entertainment choices. MS#59. "Make a masterpiece" "Blend your photos and home videos into a rich movie experience, complete with soundtrack, titles and credits, and creative transitions." So Microsoft can report you! You do know, they know what you had for dinner last evening and whether you skipped breakfast this morning, don't you? Listen....sounds like they are the phone with an artist formerly known as Prince now. MS#60. "Because you want your video memories to stay true to life" "Windows Movie Maker lets you retain high-definition quality as you capture, edit, and publish movies from your HD camcorder." The remote computer repair folks told me this is "déjà vu all over again". Dacomputerman thought he was just getting old and senile. Oh, and don't forget this little ditty: "Some product features are only available in certain editions of Windows Vista and may require advanced or additional hardware". MS#61. "Stand strong against hackers" "The easy-to-use Windows Firewall with Advanced Security provides advanced protection to help shield you and your PC from malicious attacks." Come on...come on! Stop laughing and get back to work. MS#62. "Because it remembers what you like to do—and helps you do it faster" Please refer to MS#59 above! Then go immediately to the Prefetch File located in C:\\Windows and dump it's contents. Do this daily and note the improvement in OS response time. MS#63. "Help is always available" By now most people have learned to avoid the helpdesk of major computer companies including Microsoft...maybe especially Microsoft and certainly especially if your first language is English. Fortunately also most people ignore the recommendation in this reasoning. Otherwise a lot of us would be out of business. MS#64. "Keep your files confidential" Can you say, déjà vu once again? Swamp land, anyone? anyone? how about a bridge? MS#65 "Send a fax on the spot" "Windows Fax and Scan makes sending and receiving faxes directly from your PC as simple as using e-mail. With fax templates linked to your address book, it's easy to retrieve a fax number, attach your documents, and just click to send." Kudos!!!!!! someone caught sleeping?! MS#66. "Because everyone goofs sometimes" Never heard of restore points before Vista ,huh? MS#67. "Because e-mail is your lifeline" "He who lives by the sword, dies by the sword". MS#68. "Stay on top of your family's schedule" The old magnet on the refrigerator didn't work, I doubt this will. But maybe it will work better for you than for the old da computer man, MS#69. "Because you want the quality of your printouts to match the quality of your work" O.K. Kudos!!!!!!!! MS#70. "Your PC is ready when you are" So is your significant other!! Right. Just keep the aspirin handy...headaches do happen! And, don't miss the standard little caveat at the end of the reasoning. MS#71. "Keep your favorite things at your fingertips" Favorite things have nothing to do with computers or Windows Vista. Please excuse the computer man while he day dreams a bit. Favorite things...O.K. unmentionable. So move on to Meerschaum pipe, BCA smoking tobacco, Scotch, T Bone, Lobster....alright...alright...moving along. MS#72. "Get the latest news delivered right to your desktop" schhhhhhh! Please don't tell Microsoft that these news tickers have been around forever. MS#73. "Because your photos and home movies don't have to be stuck in your PC anymore" ho! hum!! MS#74. "Because your memories need a little mood music" How many times and ways can we say, déjà vu? MS#75. "Because you want professional-looking photos from your own printer" And, How many times can you take, déjà vu? If only Microsoft had considered that question!! tmm

Why Change To Windows Vista: Part 2 of 4

Why Change To Windows Vista: Part 2 of 4 Having caught his breath and dispatched the laugh monster (just in time for Halloween) the Tennessee Mountain Man is ready to resume his look at Microsoft's 100 Reasons Why we should be using Windows Vista. In Part 1 of Why Change To Windows Vista, Remote Helpdesk 1, examined Microsoft's reasons 1 through 25. Today we will cover reasons 26 - 50 so lets get started. MS#26. "Because you're a multitasker" While Scientific studies reveal the hidden costs of multitasking as technology increasingly tempts people to do more than one thing at a time Bill Gates and Microsoft keep pushing for more. If anyone were tempting Microsoft employees to use anything other than best practices there would be one of Microsoft's infamous law suits. Aren't all of us forced to multi task toooo much as it is? Back off Gates! MS#27. " Because your computer can keep up with you while you're on the go" Lik e the pager and the cell phone, the curse of the hand held, laptop, note book and other portables is that all technology, including our computers, have kept up with us too well...no uninterrupted vacations, dinners, shows, golf games, or romantic sessions. Get this contraption out of my bedroom! MS#28. "Enjoy your memories, larger than life" Sorry, The Tennessee Mountain Man finds nothing new here. MS#29. "Take the handwritten approach" O.K. Been around forever. Ever checked out at the store or used an ATM with a touch screen? How about Monday Night Football? Been there, done that. MS#30. "Restore your PC in an instant" Hello! I know I am not as smart as the Microsoft gurus but haven't that covered this already, in Part 1 maybe?! I guess that is why he is Bill Gates owning Microsoft and I own a remote helpdesk performing online computer repair services. In the army we taught by telling students what we were going to teach them, doing the teaching, and then reiterating what we had told them. But, we didn't try to cover it up calling it three different lectures. P.S. Don't miss their last caveat. MS#31. "Because your PC lets you know if something's wrong—and helps you fix it" Sorry, The Tennessee Mountain Man could find nothing new here either unless the user has been more lazy than most. It was all available with earlier, faster, less expensive, and less intrusive operating systems. Now the Tennessee Mountain Man is in danger of becoming repetitive, but Microsoft is not giving me anything to work with here. MS#32. "Streamline IT management across your business" Oh!!!!! So!!!!!!! It is actually just an upgrade Microsoft Server 2003 with all the patches and fixes included. MS#33. "Preserve a lifetime of memories" It has a back up feature!!!! Really? MS#34. "Connect to the network at work or school" Not to mention connecting at your motel, Mickey D's, your grand ma's, and a million other places. Kids and businessmen have been doing this for years...Next! MS#35. "Because you'll know it when you see it" And we haven't seen it yet....moving right along.... MS#36. "Get a "do-over" when you need it" And I have some swamp property I need to unload before you lose everything. MS#37. "Keep your info under lock and key" This may be the best reason so far. But, let's face it, if Microsoft and the U.S. Government can't keep hackers out of their own stuff do you really think you have a chance? On the other hand, have you lost the pass words to get into today's IBM laptops? MS#38. "It's the cure for red-eye" No, they were not brazen enough to say it would keep you from working nights. What they are doing is touting an existing technology. MS#39. "Relive your memories…each and every one" O.K. Microsoft likes to be redundant, remote computer repair services does not. MS#40. "Because you love what you do" Especially when the windows operating don't crash or lock up, and performs more reliably like Ubuntu. But watch Microsoft's caveat at the end of this reasoning. MS#41. "Because your PC will stay up to date, automatically" Has it not done that for years? Oh, yes, I'm sorry. The Tennessee Mountain Man almost forgot. This is apparently our warning that Microsoft will come through the back door and make any changes they want whenever they wish despite our desires and upgrade and maintenance settings. MS#42. "E-mail your photos without worrying about the file size" Oh, really? The ISP on each end of the spectrum may have different ideas. MS#43. "It's parent friendly" What is that supposed to mean? It is slow? Because it is! Oh, sorry they are referring to parental controls like the ones parents and bosses have used forever. Got it. MS#44. "Because you have a need for speed" "Need to speed up your computer? Simply plug a USB memory stick into your desktop or notebook computer and let Windows ReadyBoost do the rest." O.K., I could, but I won't. Kudos!!!!!!!! MS#45. "Because you hate all those boxes and wires" That is why we had already eliminated them.....next... MS#46. "Your music can look as good as it sounds" At Branson maybe! Now just what does this do that is an improvement over XP? MS#47. "Let the fun start now" Are we having fun yet? No!!!!!!! MS#48. "Stay connected wherever you go" Duh!!!!!! We just covered this subject! MS#49. "Take your workspace with you" Although Microsoft remains redundant, I can't help but respond....The labor laws of the U.S. makes provisions for breaks and meal times. I want to get away on occasion and Microsoft wants a robot chasing me around demanding more...more...more...more! MS#50. "Get more out of the web" Watch the caveat as Microsoft makes a johnny come lately feeble attempt to catch up with other browsers. Is the Tennessee Mountain Man speechless yet? No, but we'll take another stab at it tomorrow with "Why Change To Windows Vista: Part 3 of 4". tmm

Windows Vista - Clean Install Tips

Windows Vista - Clean Install Tips Perform a clean installation of Windows Vista A couple of weeks ago I released an article entitled ,"9 Tips To Keep Windows XP Running Smooth". After that I published a lengthy (by necessity) article covering, "Upgrading To Microsoft Windows Vista Tips". I have since received several e-mail requests for pointers on clean Vista installs so I have compiled those conversations and am disseminating them for wider use. This will be much shorter and easier. There are no secrets here. Everything I cover is published in the windows help files or scattered across the Microsoft website. Perhaps it is compiled in a somewhat more usable form here. At least it will keep you from having to do the searches, from sifting out the chaff, and from sorting the usable data. Do you remember the PC and MAC ads? You might want to watch this one again http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ci2D1ig4df4&mode=related&search= Don't let it scare you off. Just know there are often major changes in what a computer will have and what Vista requires. Another warning to run the windows Vista Upgrade Advisor before doing anything else is in order. It is located at http://www.microsoft.com/windows/products/windowsvista/buyorupgrade/upgradeadvisor.mspx First, Please understand that this information pertains to a clean install....It will not work for an upgrade! If you need upgrade help please refer to my article on upgrading to Vista at http://remotehelpdesk1.com/articles.htm Second, APPLIES TO THE FOLLOWING VISTA EDITIONS (YOU WILL FIND VERSION COMPARISONS AT http://www.microsoft.com/windows/products/windowsvista/editions/choose.mspx ) • Windows Vista Home Basic • Windows Vista Home Premium • Windows Vista Ultimate • Windows Vista Business • Windows Vista Enterprise • Windows Vista Starter Warning: In a clean installation, existing data is removed - that includes documents, pictures, movies, music, downloads, etc. This data includes personal data and settings. Please back up or make copies of any and all data you wish to keep to another hard drive or computer before proceeding any further. After you install the Vista operating system, you must also reinstall all programs and restore any data you moved in the previous step. AGAIN!!...Make sure that you back up your personal and business data before you perform a clean installation. To perform a clean installation of Windows Vista, use one of the following methods only after (I can't say it enough) running the upgrade advisor, it is located at http://www.microsoft.com/windows/products/windowsvista/buyorupgrade/upgradeadvisor.mspx Most people don't read the fine print: There are 23 (count them 23) warnings and exceptions hid behind this little ditty (Some product features are only available in certain editions of Windows Vista and may require advanced or additional hardware) hid at the end of Microsoft's 100 Reasons why you should upgrade to Vista. RUN THE UPGRADE ADVISOR FIRST !!!!!!!!!!!!!!! O.K....Cleared that hurdle? Lets get started: Method 1: Run the Setup program after you start the computer by using the current operating system 1. Start the computer by using the current operating system. 2. Insert the Windows Vista DVD in the computer's DVD drive. 3. Use one of the following procedures, as appropriate: • If Windows automatically detects the DVD, the Install now screen appears. Click Install now. • If Windows does not automatically detect the DVD, follow these steps: a. Click Start, click Run, type Drive:\setup.exe, and then click OK. Note Drive is the drive letter of the computer's DVD drive. b. Click Install now. 4. When you reach the Which type of installation do you want? screen, click Custom (advanced), and then follow the instructions that are displayed on the screen to install Windows Vista. Method 2: Run the Setup program after you start the computer by using the Windows Vista DVD 1. Start the computer by using the Windows Vista DVD. To do this, insert the Windows Vista DVD in the computer's DVD drive, and then restart the computer. Note To start the computer from the Windows Vista DVD, the computer must be configured to start from the DVD drive. For more information about how to configure the computer to start from the DVD drive, see the documentation that is included with the computer, or contact the computer manufacturer. 2. When the "Press any key to boot from CD" message is displayed on the screen, press a key. 3. Follow the instructions that are displayed on the screen to install Windows Vista. Much more information at http://remotehelpdesk1.com/articles.htm tmm

Windows Vista - Which Version Do You Need?

After deciding to shift to a Windows Vista OS, you need to decide on which Windows Vista version you should pick. Before you consider shelling out $400 for a Windows Vista Ultimate license, you really should ask yourself exactly what features you need and want so you can decide whether the price is right. Windows Vista Home Basic This is the most rudimentary version of Vista available. It has the more secure IE 7, the firewall, the quick search functionality, and easier connectivity. When it comes to the features that distinguish Vista from previous versions of the Windows OS, though, Home Basic is somewhat lacking, though it does offer parental control. Windows Vista Home Basic is a good choice only if you use your computer solely for web surfing and basic document processing, or if your computer is just barely powerful enough to run Windows Vista. Windows Vista Home Premium For an extra $40, you can get much more out of Windows Vista. Aside from including all the features of the Home Basic version, Home Premium offers all of the window-dressing that makes Vista look like Vista. You will have pre-packaged games and Aero interface capability. Aero gives your windows and icons a 3D appearance and smoother transitions, as well as allowing you to add transparency effects to window borders. Home Premium offers tablet PC functionality, document collaboration, and scheduled backups. Home Premium also offers the fully integrated Windows Media Center for all your home entertainment needs, plus a moviemaker which is HD format-capable. Windows Vista Home Premium is designed for the user who uses the computer for PC and network gaming, since Premium supports DirectX 10, with its advanced graphics technologies incredible graphics rendering. Premium is also designed for watching High Definition movie, editing/making video clips, burning DVD copies, and interfacing with the Xbox 360, which Home Premium edition automatically detects to allow for Video, Audio, and Picture sharing. Windows Vista Business Windows Vista Business drops Parental controls, Media Center features, and pre-installed games for obvious reasons. Vista Business does have the rest of the Home Premium features plus support for business applications and business data security (fax, remote desktop connectivity, file encryption, and complete shadow incremental backup). This version of Windows Vista is, as the name implies, strictly for business purposes. Windows Vista Enterprise Windows Vista Enterprise adds Microsoft’s BitLocker encryption technology to the feature set found in Windows Vista Business, but this version of Windows is only offered to businesses participating in Microsoft’s Software Assurance program. Windows Vista Ultimate This edition has everything that is included in the Home Premium and Business editions. Vista Ultimate also adds Enterprise’s BitLocker encryption technology for the computer’s hard drives, protecting the drives so that only authorized users can boot up the OS or view the files contained in the drives. Because of its full complement of features, Vista Ultimate is perfect for people who use the PC for fun and business in equal parts, as well as users who want to be protected from data loss and PC theft. This article may be republished freely as long as this copyright notice and box of resource links are included at the bottom. Copyright © 2007 MALIBAL, lLc

Windows Vista Ultimate Review

Windows Vista is Microsoft's first new operating system in more than five years and the successor to Windows XP. However, it is not worth rushing out to purchase. If you desperately need to buy a new PC (if your old one died or you've been waiting and waiting for Vista to be released), then by all means do so; there's nothing wrong with Windows Vista. But there's no one compelling feature within Windows Vista that cries out to switch over, neither the enhanced graphic capabilities (Aero) nor the improved system performance features (truthfully, our Windows XP doesn't crash). As for security, Microsoft's biggest improvements in Windows Vista are within the Enterprise or 64-bit editions, editions most home users will not be running. Windows Vista is not the Apple Mac OS X 10.4 killer one hoped for (or feared). Nor are there specific big-name software packages written exclusively for Windows Vista--most software available today is compatible with both Windows XP and Windows Vista. But the extensive tie-ins to Microsoft.com and Live.com, and the many, many interdependences upon Internet Explorer 7 left us desperately wanting more (and often best-of-breed) alternatives. Hard core Microsofties who live and breathe within the MSN, Live.com, and Microsoft desktop software ecosystem will rejoice with the release of Windows Vista, but for the rest of us who are product agnostic, who use Firefox, Google Desktop, ZoneAlarm, GMail, and Corel WordPerfect, Windows XP SP2 will suffice nicely until some killer program necessitates that we all upgrade to Windows Vista.

There are six major editions of Windows Vista; we're reviewing four. We chose not to review Windows Vista Enterprise (available only to volume license customers) and Windows Vista Starter (available only outside the United States). Windows Vista Ultimate includes everything, and this is the edition getting the most promotion from Microsoft. It is not the edition most people will find packaged on their shiny new PCs or will end up with after an upgrade of existing hardware. See our feature comparison chart to know which edition is right for your specific needs, and check the following individual reviews for more details:

Windows Vista Business
Windows Vista Home Premium
Windows Vista Home Basic

Setup and installation
The Windows Vista DVD disc includes a Windows Imaging (WIM) format of the code, so whether you buy the Home Basic edition or the Ultimate edition, the code remains the same; only the product key unlocks your specific set of features. This means users who opt for the lesser editions can always upgrade (assuming they have the proper hardware) by downloading some additional code and securing a new product key online. However, all features--even if you paid for them--are dependent on specific hardware configurations being present; if you don't have the proper graphics hardware, for example, you'll simply never see the Aero graphic effects on that old Dell computer in your basement.

Hardware requirements for Windows Vista should not be taken lightly. In a controversial move to garner positive reviews, Microsoft sent hundreds of bloggers (not including CNET) free copies of Windows Vista Ultimate; Microsoft did not send boxed copies, rather the software giant sent top-of-the-line Acer Ferrari laptops with the operating system preinstalled. So even Microsoft seems to admit that the best performance is only available on top-of-the-line machines manufactured within the last year or so.

That said, many people will still want to upgrade their current Windows XP SP2. This will keep all your current data and applications, importing them directly into the new operating system. To see which edition(s) of Windows Vista your current computer can handle, visit the Windows Vista Upgrade Advisor to find specific hardware recommendations so you don't buy the wrong edition. Most people will find either Windows Vista Home Basic or Windows Vista Home Premium to be their best choice. While Windows Vista does make a backup of your previous operating system before installing, it is always recommended that you backup your current Windows XP system yourself, just in case.

Rather than upgrade, we recommend you perform a clean installation. With a clean installation, you keep all your current on the Windows XP drive and install only the data and applications you want to run on Windows Vista. A clean install can be accomplished by buying a new PC with Windows Vista already installed, partitioning an existing Windows XP machine to dual-boot into Windows Vista, or adding a new hard drive to an existing Windows XP machine.

Our clean installations took anywhere from 20 minutes to an hour, depending on the hardware in the system. It's pretty much an automated process, with the installer first copying the WIM image onto the new hard drive or partition then expanding that image. Once again, we experienced an uncomfortably long plateau at "Expanding: 27 percent"; as with previous builds, we waited between two and five minutes before the expansion continued. About halfway through, the installer reboots and continues the installation in Windows Vista.

During the installation, Windows Vista will load the drivers included within the installation image, but it will also download additional drivers from a much larger database at Microsoft. This assumes, however, that one has an always-on Internet connection; dial-up users may find that upon completion of the installation process some drivers are missing.

Once fully installed, Windows Vista first asks for your country or region, then time and currency, and, finally, the desired keyboard layout. Next, you'll choose a username, a user icon, and a password. Then select your desktop wallpaper and security settings: Automatic, Install Important Updates Only, or Ask Me Later. After reviewing the computer's time and date settings, there's one more message: "Please wait while Windows checks your computer's performance." Here, Microsoft grades your computer on a five-point scale, with the overall rating based on your system's lowest score (in our case, that was for the video card).

Windows Vista includes new musical tones written by veteran musician Robert Fripp. Compared to the familiar start-up tones of Windows XP, Windows Vista's are lighter, almost spritely. The sounds for User Account Control and Log Off are also perkier than those found in similar security warnings within Windows XP.

New on the Windows Vista desktop is a Welcome Center which contains links to frequently asked questions such as, "How do you configure your printer?" and "How do you connect to your Internet service?" There is also room for some sales opportunities, either with manufacturer specials or online offers from Microsoft, such as the Windows Live OneCare service. Frankly, we think it is better for you to look beyond the Windows ecosystem for e-mail, Internet browsers, and security applications.

After closing the Welcome Center, you'll notice to the far right there is a shaded sidebar populated with three example Gadgets ("widgets" to everyone else), tiny desktop applets that display content, such as RSS feeds. In one Gadget, a slide show of images from the sample photo library display; in the next, the current time; finally, there's a Gadget for subscribed RSS feeds. We downloaded and installed Firefox 2, made Firefox our default browser, and quickly set up a few RSS feed subscriptions. Guess what? The Windows Vista Gadget was unresponsive to our efforts, displaying only the default MSN feeds from Microsoft. Microsoft says the default RSS Gadget feeds off a common store of RSS feeds within Windows Vista, and firefox hasn't yet adopted the API for that store. You have to use Internet Explorer 7 or choose a Firefox-friendly Gadget instead. By clicking the + symbol atop the sidebar, you'll see a panel of available Gadgets, with a link out to the Web to find even more. The Gadgets are not fixed to the sidebar; they can be dragged across the desktop. And even the sidebar itself can be disabled to allow for a full desktop view. An icon located within the taskbar will restore the sidebar at any time.

The familiar Start menu features some cosmetic changes for Windows Vista. Aside from the distinctive rounded icon, the Start menu now includes a built-in Search function. We would have preferred to have access to Search directly from the desktop rather than digging down a level or two. The All Programs list now displays as an expandable/collapsible directory tree, something Windows should have offered years ago. The new Start menu is divided in half, with access to documents, pictures, music, games, recent items, My Computer, network, Control Panel, default programs, and Help along the right-hand side.

Also new within Start is an Instant Off button. This button caches all your open files and processes, allowing you to turn off your laptop or desktop quickly without all the "cleaning up files" messages you see in previous versions. We like the feature, but on our Acer Travelmate 8200, Instant Off and closing the lid to hibernate sometimes produced limbo states where the laptop simply wouldn't wake up again, forcing us to reboot.

In Windows Vista, files become unmoored from the traditional directory tree structure--kind of. The more ambitious plan of including a whole new file system was scrapped early on; instead, Windows Vista relies on metatags, which are keywords linked to files to make them searchable. With metatags, you can create virtual file folders based on a variety of search terms. Say you're doing a report on mountains, any file that is keyword-enabled to include "mountains" will be grouped into a virtual folder without physically dragging that file to a new location. The downside is that older files (say you upgraded your system from Windows XP or imported data from an earlier version of Windows) will have to be retroactively metataged in order to be searched. Also different is the file path displayed within Windows Explorer. Gone are the backslashes, replaced with arrows that offer drop-down menus of alternative folders. We liked this efficient feature.

Finally, there's a compatibility wizard buried deep within Windows Vista. Most Windows XP applications we loaded performed just fine. Operating under the hood, Windows Vista convinces native Windows XP applications that they're running on Windows XP. Should you need to run an older application, say from Windows 95, the compatibility wizard allows you to tweak the display resolution and emulate Windows 95 for that program. For example, we were able to run a Windows 95-optimized game demo on our Windows Vista test system.

Features
There are too many individual features within Windows Vista Ultimate Edition to call out--seriously. However, our gut feeling is that most of the significant bells and whistles are designed for the Enterprise-level customers, not the home user. Having a large number of features should not be confused with actually providing significant value to all users across the board. We would have preferred fewer features executed extremely well rather than an uneven mix of this and that, a one-size-fits-all operating system. And we disagree with Microsoft's seemingly arbitrary division of features within individual editions.

Common to all editions of Windows Vista are ad hoc backup and recovery, instant Search, Internet Explorer 7 browser, Windows Media Player 11, Windows Mail e-mail client, Windows Calendar, Windows Photo Gallery, performance tuning and self-diagnostics, Internet protocol IPv6 and IPv4 support, Windows ReadyDrive, a maximum of 4GB RAM support on 32-bit editions (up to 128GB RAM on some 64-bit editions), Windows Sync Center for mobile devices, Windows Mobility Center for presentations on the road, User Account Control security protection, Windows Security Center, Windows Defender antispyware, Windows Firewall, Windows Meeting Space for ad hoc wireless meetings, Remote Desktop for working from home, XPS document support for PDF-like files, improved peer-to-peer networking, improved VPN support, and improved power management. Included within certain editions (and thus also included within the Ultimate edition) are Windows Media Center, Windows Tablet PC, Windows Movie Maker, Windows DVD Maker, Parental Controls, Windows SideShow for remote gadgets, domain join for Windows Small Business Server, Group Policy support, Client-side file caching, Roaming User Profiles for remote server access, Windows Fax and Scan, Windows ShadowCopy to create file backups, Windows Rights Management Services to protect documents, Windows BitLocker hard drive encryption, integrated smart card management, and various Windows Ultimate Extras to be named later. Despite many feature changes within Windows Vista, Microsoft has held onto its original marketing promise of providing users with Clear, Confident, and Connected solutions.

For Clear, Microsoft cites its new Aero graphics. Aero is part of the Windows Presentation Foundation, a subgroup of the .Net Foundation Framework, an underlying foundation for developers to build new applications. One applet is the New York Times Times Reader, the first of many products written exclusively for Windows Vista but hardly a compelling reason by itself to upgrade. Though video playback and, yes, even the tiny icons on Windows Vista are now crisp and colorful with Aero, unless you watch YouTube videos all day, you won't really need Aero, nor will you miss the tiny preview windows enabled on your desktop display. Also new is Microsoft's Adobe PDF-like file format called XPS (Extensible Page System); however, any Windows XP SP2 machine can view XPS-created pages with downloads of the .Net 3 Framework Foundation and the Internet Explorer 7 browser.

For Confident, Microsoft touts new security enhancements within Windows Vista. You shouldn't encounter User Account Control (UAC) except when changing system configurations or installing new software, and even then, wouldn't you--in this age of downloadable spyware--prefer to know when an executable file is about to run? While UAC notifies you of pending system changes, it doesn't always require a password. Microsoft's more controversial method to lock down the system kernel, PatchGuard, is only available in the 64-bit editions of Windows Vista; most home users will not run these editions. Another celebrated security feature works only within Windows Mail, which most people are unlikely to use. And finally, the jury is still out on whether Internet Explorer 7 is more secure than, say, Firefox 2. Windows Vista also includes a built-in but limited two-way firewall and free Windows Defender antispyware, which ranked poor in competitive testing done by Download.com.

For Connected, Microsoft points to the new peer-to-peer possibilities, some of which are the result of its acquisition of Groove several years ago. From within Windows Explorer (which displays different toolbar options for exploring documents, photos, or music) you can move any file into a Public Folder and then mark the file or folder for sharing on a network. Within the Business and Ultimate editions you can further mark individual files for remote access.

Performance
Upon installation, Windows Vista rates each system's overall hardware performance, with the final score reflecting your system's lowest individual score. This is handy. For example, if you suspect that everything's running a little slow, you might find that your hard drive is returning the lowest score. Windows Vista will then recommend a faster hard drive or a drive with larger compatibility. Mostly, though, the video card will be the sore spot for most users. There's also an event log viewer to show, for example, after a specific software install your system performance started to degrade, and that uninstalling the software may restore your overall performance.

Under the hood, Microsoft has moved device drivers for DVD burners and printers out of the system kernel; Microsoft says that a majority of system crashes can be traced to improperly installed third-party device drivers. Thus Windows Vista hopes to vanquish the dreaded Blue Screen of Death common to earlier releases of Windows. Indeed, after testing several early builds, we found Windows Vista to be remarkably stable and robust.

Support
Along with the performance monitors, Microsoft has improved the Help section considerably. There is a static FAQ, but it also links to Microsoft online and allows outreach to other users for help, either via a forum or direct PC-to-PC help. Of these, we really like a feature available on some, not all, FAQs that allows you to automate the solution by executing a script. This method doesn't teach you how to do it in the future, but it will accomplish the task at hand. For example, if you choose to update a device driver, Windows Vista will darken the desktop; highlight and open the Start menu, the Control Panel, and the Device Manager; then pause to ask you what device you want to update. It's like having a technician at your desktop, walking you though the process. There's an increasing reliance on user-generated support forums, which leads us to believe that Microsoft is shying away from its own live technical support. At press time, Microsoft's final support policy was unavailable.

Conclusion
Perhaps we're spoiled, but after more than five years of development, there's a definite "Is that all?" feeling about Windows Vista. Like cramming an info-dump into a book report the night before it's due, there certainly are a lot of individual features within the operating system, but the real value lies in their execution--how the user experiences (or doesn't experience) these--and like the info-dump, we came away shaking our heads, disappointed. Compared with Mac OS X 10.4, Windows Vista feels clunky and not very intuitive, almost as though it's still based on DOS (or at least the internal logic that made up DOS). Despite the addition of a system-wide, built-in Search, and various efforts to break away from staidly old directory trees, you still need to drill down one level to even access Search. And there are far too many dependencies on Microsoft products; this is not a very objective operating system, as preference is always given to Microsoft products (of which there are many), from MSN Search to RSS feeds only from Internet Explorer. But is Windows Vista a bad operating system? No. It's just a disappointment for PC users who hoped that Microsoft would deliver something truly exciting to finally leapfrog ahead of Apple. They failed. But stick around; this is just Windows Vista 1.0. Windows Vista Service Pack 1 is due out sometime before the end of the year. Windows Vista SP1 promises to fix what's known to be wrong within Windows Vista and should offer a few concrete reasons to switch.

How To Find The Windows Vista Menu Bar

Getting used to a new operating system is always hard, but there are many little tips and tricks that you can learn along the way to make the transition much easier.

One of the tools available in Windows that I use all the time is the Menu Bar. This is the bar across the top of most program windows that includes items like; File, Edit, View, Tools, Insert, Help, etc. The "Tools" menu is especially helpful when I want to change the settings for a program or window.

Let me give you a quick example:

When I am hunting for a file, it is not always visible with the default windows settings, so I have to be able to view hidden files. To turn these hidden files on, I click on "Tools" in the menu bar, then click on "Folder Options" and then click on the "View" tab in the folder options window. On the View page, I can quickly scroll down and click on "Show hidden files and folders", then I click the "OK" button to save my changes. Once I have followed these steps, it is much easier to find the file that I am hunting for, especially if it is a hidden system file. Once I have found my file, I can quickly go back and follow the steps above to turn off the hidden files by clicking on "Do not show hidden files or folders".

In Windows Vista, the menu bar is not visible in most windows. I find the loss of these menu bars very frustrating because I am always changing settings using those menus. If you are reading this article on a computer that is running Microsoft Windows Vista, check it out; click on "Start", then click on "Documents" you will see the contents of your documents folder, but unless you have turned on the menu bars, you will not see them. I cannot tell you how many times I was stumped by the absence of these menu bars when I first started using Windows Vista computers!

Today, however, I have good news for you! If you are working on a computer that is running Vista, and you need to make a change or two that you know you used to be able to find in the menu bar, you can make the menu bar temporarily visible in Vista just by tapping the "Alt" key on your keyboard!

If you are using Vista, try it now by following these steps;

1. Open a window by clicking on the "Start" orb (new name for the round buttons in Vista and Office 2007" and then click on "Documents" in the right hand side of the start menu.

2. Your documents window will open. You will notice that there is no menu bar showing though.

3. Now, tap the "Alt" key on your keyboard just once. The menu bar will appear near the top of the window. It will stay visible until you use it, or until you tap the "Alt" key again.

I can't begin to tell you how much time this little trick has saved me when I am using or working on computers!