The Computer Corner
By Charles Miller, Dec 15, 2006

Windows’s new system promises fresh view

As I write this, the long-awaited new version of Microsoft Windows has finally started to arrive. Vista was initially known by the code name “Longhorn” during its five-year development and follows Windows XP, the latest major version of the Windows operating system.

Microsoft began shipping Windows Vista and Microsoft Office 2007 to selected businesses on November 30 and plans to release it to the rest of us consumers in January 2007.

Vista has many new features that are not standard in Windows XP. These include improved graphics, better search tools, increased security, new multimedia functions and updated system tools for backups, updates and so on.

Center stage is the new graphics technology “Windows Aero,” which Microsoft calls a “new graphic experience.” The new interface is supposed to make Vista both easier to use and more pleasant to look at.

Two of the visual effects of Windows Aero are semi-transparent windows and Flip 3D. The semi-transparent windows allow you to see what’s behind the active window, and the Flip 3D is similar to tabbing. Both are intended to make it easier to maneuver around the desktop.

The improvements to the search feature allow you to save searches as search folders, so you do not have to start searching from scratch every time. Live thumbnail icons show you what is in many files, so you do not have to open each one to find the right file.

One of the new-and-improved features of Vista seems to me to be a throwback to the past—call it a 21st-century command prompt. Using the current Windows XP, you have to hunt through many levels of programs in the Start menu to find the program you want. In Vista, just type the first few letters of the program and it will find the program for you.

Microsoft says Vista has several security enhancements over Windows XP. The most obvious to me is the more flexible user account configuration. Windows XP was an all-or-none proposition when it came to assigning user rights. Vista is more flexible and makes it easier to work with a limited account. It will prompt the user for an administrator’s password before he or she can make changes that might screw up the computer.

Vista includes improved versions of Windows Media Player, Windows Photo Gallery, and Windows Media Center that are designed to take full advantage of the newest multimedia.

The System Tools such as Windows Backup utility and System Restore are easier to use and protect better against data loss than in Windows XP.

And now the big, big question: Should you upgrade from Windows XP to Vista? My answer remains the same as it was in 1995 for Windows 95 and in 2001 for Windows XP: No!

When you buy a new computer in the new year, it is going to come with Windows Vista, and that new computer will meet the memory and processor requirements for the new operating system. Most computers more than two to three years old do not meet the optimum requirements for Vista, and upgrading them to Vista might not be such a good idea.

Vista is the first Microsoft operating system that can adapt itself to the computer on which it is running. This means it can adapt to run on older hardware, but at the cost of losing the majority of Vista’s features. What good is that?

Microsoft Vista is well worth having, but wait to get it with your new computer so you will be able to use all the new features.


Charles Miller is a freelance computer consultant, a frequent visitor to San Miguel since 1981 and now practically a full-time resident. He may be contacted at 044-415-101-8528 or email FAQ@SMAguru.com