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Windows Vista FAQ's
 . I'm thinking of upgrading to
Windows Vista but I've heard it doesn't work with all hardware or software.
How can I be sure that it will work with my system?
 . Microsoft has a compatibility test
available for download at
http://www.microsoft.com/windows/products/windowsvista/buyorupgrade/upgradeadvisor.mspx?wt_svl=20406a&mg_id=20406b.
Download and run this test to see if there are any issues with your existing
software or hardware. The one suggestion I would make is that you have enough
memory. While your system may meet the requirements for memory I recommend that
you have a minimum of 1GB.
One of Vistas features is called Aero Glass, a new way of displaying things on
screen. To take advantage of the Aero Glass interface you will need a video card
with at least 128 MB of RAM. If you don't meet this requirement you can still
run Vista, it just won't support all of the bells and whistles.
There is a list of compatible software available at
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/933305. These are programs which have been
tested by Microsoft and certified. Just because a program is not on the list
doesn't mean it won't work but it is not guaranteed to work.
If you would like to see what Vista is like before you buy you can try it online
by going to
http://www.vistatestdrive.com/ and signing up. Be aware that the site
requires Internet Explorer and will not operate with Firefox, Opera or Netscape.
You will also need a high speed connection to use it in a satisfactory manner.
. There seem to be a lot of versions of
Vista. What is the difference?
. There will be 5 versions of Vista,
Home Basic, Home Premium, Business, Ultimate and Enterprise. In some areas of
the world there
will also be a version called Vista Starter. This is designed for the third
world and will be unavailable here. It is a good idea to know what
features are in each version to be sure that you don't get stuck with a version
that won't do what you need. There is a good article discussing the
various versions at
http://www.windowsitpro.com/Article/ArticleID/47665/47665.html.
Briefly the four retail versions of Vista and their main features are as
follows:
|
Vista Edition |
Vista Home Basic |
Vista Home Premium |
Vista Business |
Vista Ultimate |
|
Full Price |
$199 |
$239 |
$299 |
$399 |
|
Upgrade Price |
$99 |
$159 |
$199 |
$259 |
|
BitLocker (drive encryption) |
No |
No |
No |
Yes |
|
Fancy Aero "Glass" UI |
No |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
|
Fax and Scan |
No |
No |
Yes |
Yes |
|
IIS Web Server |
No |
No |
Yes |
Yes |
|
Media Center (with HDTV/cablecard support) |
No |
Yes |
No |
Yes |
|
Meeting Space Interaction |
Limited |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
|
Offline Files/Folders |
No |
No |
Yes |
Yes |
|
Remote Desktop |
Limited |
Limited |
Yes |
Yes |
|
Rights Management Services |
No |
No |
Yes |
Yes |
|
Scheduled backup |
No |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
|
SideShow |
No |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
|
Tablet PC Functionality |
No |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
|
Volume Shadow Copy |
No |
No |
Yes |
Yes |
|
Windows DVD Maker |
No |
Yes |
No |
Yes |
|
Windows Movie Maker (with HD support) |
No |
Yes |
No |
Yes |
All versions have User Account Control,
Windows Firewall, Windows Defender, IE7, Instant Search, Backup and Recover,
Media Player 11, Photo Gallery, and speech recognition.
. I'm looking to buy a computer now and
install Vista as an upgrade later. What do I need to look for?
. There are two types of systems that
will run Vista. A computer marked Vista Capable will run Vista but not support
all of the advanced features such as the Aero Glass video. The second type is
marked Premium Ready. These machines will support all of the Vista features.
I'm not sure what Vista
is like. I have heard it is different from XP. How can I tell what it is like?
Microsoft has a site
where you can run Vista over the internet to see what is going on. Go to
http://www.windowsvistatestdrive.com/ and sign in. For best results you
should have broadband access.
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