Is a new version of Windows cause for celebration? Based on its features and the paltry turnouts at midnight launch parties when compared to the frenzied, camping hoards who couldn't wait to buy a PlayStation 3, Windows Vista appears to be an advancement that most of us will have to reluctantly buy at some point rather than something we can't wait to own.
Of course, each new version of Windows promises an era of easy, convenient, and cutting-edge computing. Indeed, Microsoft has gotten several things right with Vista's stronger security and networking features, built-in parental controls, image management features, improved searches, and a fresh new look.
On the other hand, many of the new features — the improved Internet Explorer 7, for example — can be had in Windows XP, a mature operating system, via downloads. And to get into Vista, you'll have to shell out at least $99, and this is the price tag for just an upgrade. If you want the top of the line Vista edition, be prepared to spend some $400 ($259 upgrade). The operating system, a computing necessity, is far less glamorous than a standalone application, but costs as much or more.
A Multimedia World After All
Immediately apparent in Vista is the attractive new Windows Aero interface, which includes the Windows Flip 3D feature for quickly switching between windows and tasks. The interface enhancements are a flashy addition that relies on pretty 3D windows and translucent displays. Overall, it's intuitive as well as attractive and provides some additional oversight when working in multiple windows. However, to take full advantage of these features, you'll need some considerable computing horsepower.
Blurring the line between the PC and the home entertainment center, Windows Media Center organizes digital photos into slide shows, plays DVDs, allows you to watch and record TV shows, and download and view movies. With an Xbox 360, you can play slide shows, music, and recorded television on a television while your PC is in a different room of your home.
The Big Pictures
Most home computers are filled with folders full of digital photos that include images of family gatherings and the kids' recitals, soccer matches, and more. For this, Vista offers the useful Windows Photo Gallery so you can identify photos by date, keyword, ratings, or other labels to organize and later retrieve. Photo organizers were available in the past as add-on products, but having this capability here is a valuable feature.
Search capabilities have been greatly improved as well — most notably, you won't have to wait as long to locate files, documents, photos,
e-mail messages, songs, videos, or programs and have far more search options to apply. Windows Instant Search accepts names, as well as dates, titles, and words in documents or e-mail messages and lists all relevant matches.
Explorer makes it easy to identify files by showing scalable thumbnails of the data in each file. And you can further add identifiers such as authors and ratings that may be later sorted and filtered.
Long overdue, Windows Internet Explorer 7 finally offers useful tabbed browsing capabilities so you can simultaneously open several web pages and immediately switch between them. Yes, you can download and run a version of Internet Explorer 7 in Windows XP, but this version lacks some of the new security functions that Vista brings to the table.
Vista also comes with Chess Titans, a compelling chess game, and there are other fun office time wasters such as the classic Mine Sweeper
game, Inkball, Mahjong, and more.
