Need to network?
Then network with us--Accent on Computers. 203-625-7575.
May 26, 2006
A New Vista on the Horizon
Dear Larry,
What do I need to know about this new version of Windows
coming out?
G. P.
Dear G. P.,
Windows Vista should be generally available at some point
during the first three months of 2007. Each time Microsoft issues a new version
of its flagship operating system, a new level of stability and functionality is
achieved. Such was the case five years ago when Windows XP debuted and
immediately made Windows 98 and Millennium obsolete for all intents and
purposes. While XP won’t be disappearing any time soon, you can be sure Windows
Vista will quickly become the new PC standard. Why should you care and what will
be different?
For one thing, Microsoft has gotten the message regarding
security and will be battening down the hatches in every nook and cranny of
Vista. Will it be far more secure than XP? For certain. Will it be perfect? Not
a chance. But expect that when properly configured, Windows Vista will do a much
better job of keeping spyware and viruses at bay. A new version of Internet
Explorer will let you access multiple web sites simultaneously, keeping them
organized all in a single, tabbed Window. And the inclusion of built-in parental
controls will allow parents to manage and monitor their kids’ use of the
computer.
The wrapping paper on the outside will be much glossier as
well. Individual windows on the desktop will be partially transparent and
shadowed to give everything a more three-dimensional look and feel. The Start
Menu will be more organized and easier to traverse. Mini applications will be
able to operate within 3D “gadgets” on the desktop instead of traditional,
rectangular windows. And a new “Sidebar” will provide quick and easy access to
special programs and services that run on your computer all the time.
Changes to Windows file management will help keep information
from getting lost on your hard drive. A vastly improved Search capability will
be omnipresent and will locate files in seconds, not minutes. It should also be
easier within Vista to track down a file that’s buried several folder levels
deep, then subsequently retrace your steps.
All in all, Microsoft has taken this leap forward to its next
generation Windows operating system very seriously. And because it will be the
de facto operating system on all new PCs sold in 2007 and beyond, it’s a
guaranteed success. Of course, other guarantees such as a shake-out period to
clean up bugs, a learning curve, and a potentially uneasy migration from Windows
XP remain to be seen.
This is Larry Schneider, logging off.
