Windows Vista debuts to mixed reactions

Tech Features

By Sven Appel and Jay Dougherty Jan 30, 2007, 15:19 GMT

Munich - Vista has finally arrived. Microsoft's new operating system became available to consumers in many parts of the world on January 30. Microsoft Chairman Bill Gates at the launch of the long-awaited Vista operating system from Microsoft on Monday 29 January 2007. The software goes on sale Tuesday EPA/ANDREW GOMBERT

Microsoft Chairman Bill Gates at the launch of the long-awaited Vista operating system from Microsoft on Monday 29 January 2007. The software goes on sale Tuesday EPA/ANDREW GOMBERTInitial impressions are mixed. No one disputes that Vista is safer, finds data quicker, and offers a slicker interface, including transparent windows. On the down side, however, it runs smoothly only on powerful, well-equipped computers. And it doesn't exactly come cheap. Windows Vista is markedly improved over Windows XP when it comes to security, says Thomas Caspers, an expert for operating systems security at the German Federal Agency for Security in Information Technology (BSI) in Bonn. Its firewall is a good one, he cites as an example. Unlike the firewall already built into XP, the Vista firewall can, once configured, also monitor connections originating from the computer onto the internet. Many experts criticised its habit of assigning users administrator rights by default. That makes it easy for a virus to paralyze the system in one fell swoop, and has been changed in Vista. As it is so widely used, Microsoft's Internet Explorer is a favourite target for computer virus programmers. In Vista, version 7 of the browser offers what is known as a protected mode. The browser runs insolated from other applications in the operating system, according to Microsoft,. Other security tools integrated into Vista include Windows Defender, long available to users of XP as a separate download, and a phishing filter. Vista also offers parents the ability to prohibit kids from surfing to specific Web sites. Thousands of new functions have also been integrated into Vista, Microsoft claims. Many of these are hidden deep in the system and will not be apparent to many users. But one thing you can't miss is the new user interface, dubbed Aero. It stands out primarily for its semi-transparent windows, which allow users to see which folders and documents are still open even if several windows are layered one atop another. Another new item is the desktop search function for locating objects not just by folder or file name but also by the content of the document itself. A new sidebar helps keep things orderly. The sidebar offers a collection of small programs that delivers real-time information like weather reports or stock quotes, presuming an internet connection is available. The Windows Photo Gallery applet is designed to help organise digital photos. The program locates images based on the day they were taken, says Microsoft Product Manager Vanessa Weihbrecht. Nobody should rush out to switch from XP to Vista based solely on these new programs, however. Many of the functions on hand in Vista are available already for free right now, says Peter Knaak from the German consumer testing organisation Stiftung Warentest in Berlin. And there's more reason not to rush into Vista. Your existing software and hardware may not be compatible with the new operating system. Although Vista has been engineered with a compatibility mode available, some applications - including some popular virus scanners - will not be compatible with Vista until you apply a compatibility patch or upgrade the software altogether. As large operating systems of this kind usually contain more than a few bugs when first launched, Knaak recommends waiting a few months before making the transition. That way, the serious wrinkles will already have been ironed out. Those who aren't interested in buying a new computer with Vista pre-installed should look carefully at all the different variants that are available. XP and its many variants caused enough confusion, says Axel Vahldiek from the Hanover-based computer magazine c't. 'Many users who bought the XP Home Edition back then were surprised that some functions were missing,' Vahldiek says. Vista, with its five editions, is destined to be no less puzzling. Vista Home Premium is comparable with Windows XP Home. Home Basic, which as the most affordable version, does not contain the Aero design. There is also a version for small companies and freelancers called Vista Business. Another version called Vista Enterprise is aimed exclusively at large companies. And the Ultimate Edition offers the entire Vista package. There are upgrades and full versions of each package. All versions can also be acquired more cheaply in what are known as system builder variants. Anyone hoping to install Vista on their own should be aware of the system's hardware requirements. At least a gigabyte of RAM should be on hand. And without a dedicated graphics card with at least 64 megabytes of RAM, Vista buyers will not have much fun with their new system. Graphics cards with 128 megabytes of RAM are recommended. 'Otherwise, you'll have to work with the classic view,' Vahldiek says. And if you do that, you may as well stick with Windows XP. © 2007 dpa - Deutsche Presse-Agentur

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FfoegJan 30th, 2007 - 20:44:07

This is pretty much what I expected. XP did not seem to offer any REAL functionality over 2000 either. I am still using 2000 with SP4 myself. There was no reason to switch to XP to begin with. I have been using Zone Alarm, Spybot S&D and AVG Free for years, so XP or vista will not be offering me enhanced security. As for functionality, there is a problem with trying to update a whole operating system and add functionality when most of the programs people are running were written for compatibility with 98/ME. There is just not any room for real functionality to be added. Sure you can make the windows transparent or add on any number of functions that have been available from third party vendors since the days of Win98, but why? It's all about the money, you say Bill?

I think Microsoft should spend more of their time fixing the bugs in their currently available operating systems than writing new ones. Add-ons like the Windows Firewall and Internet Explorer should be released seperately from the OS and updated regularly as well.

On the upside for Microsoft, I have been given the impression the IE7 is is much more secure and standards-compliant than IE6. Maybe to the point that it can even render XHTML documents served with the mimetype application/xhtml+xml! It would sure be nice to see a Microsoft browser that I don't have to kick into quirks mode to show my pages properly! I will not be downloading IE7 for a while still; I have enough browsers to test on as it is, but I'm happy to see that my friend's computers are prompting them to download IE7 now.

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Windows PC users are like abused wives ...Jan 30th, 2007 - 21:45:44

Windows PC users are like abused wives ... 'It's not so bad. It only beats me up once a day.'

They accept a certain level of dysfunction as normal. They don't even realize it can be much better.

Once you go Mac, you never go back.

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SP4:The thrill is gone...Jan 30th, 2007 - 23:21:20

Microsoft...egghead software designed by eggheads, for eggheads. 12 ways to do something and no way to find out, except 'help'.

Jobs gets his revenge, by innovation. It's called taking care of your customer.

Nonetheless, Gates is the 20th century's most successsful business case study.

His famous line about IBM 'they do not know the taste of defeat'.

Relearn the lesson, guys.

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switchJan 31st, 2007 - 01:57:05

'Once you go Mac, you never go back.'

Here here. Out of the alternatives, Linux, Windows ect, Mac is head and shoulders above the rest.

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jamieJan 31st, 2007 - 04:09:24

here come all the mac fanboys.. oh how you make me laugh

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You are not funnyJan 31st, 2007 - 04:58:29

The comment about abused housewives is not funny. I am an abused housewife and my husband still loves me very much. Just because Microsoft punches you in the face when you make dinner wrong or burns you with cigarettes when you forget to make the bed before he brushes his teeth does not mean it does not care about you.

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gamersJan 31st, 2007 - 08:17:16

something you guys don't seem to realize is that vista will be the first REAL 64 bit operating system running directx10. XP 64 was no more than a 32 bit system ported out to 64 bits. many people like me have been running 64 bit processors for years, and have been waiting for the day that they can fully utilize their hardware potential. as for directx10, if you know anything about the next generation video cards such as the Nvidia 8800 series cards, then you will quickly realize how huge this is for the gaming industry. and whether you like it or not the online community that drives and funds technological advancement is gamers. we spend more money on equipment to get the most enjoyable game play possible so vista means the most to us. and for you mac users out there.... I'm sorry but mac doesn't have the ability for games to speak of. i will say though that macs are the best for music and video editing, but i do neither of those things. i am only interested in performance, and mac doesn't perform compared to my beast. i am optimistic that vista will be at the very least a launching point for better operating systems.
thats my two cents

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gamer, inform yourself a 'bit' (pun intended)Jan 31st, 2007 - 15:41:41

For the above poster ...

Mac OS X Tiger has had 64-bit addressing for some time now.

Once gain, Windows lags behind Apple.

Enjoy your headaches from Microsoft.

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Too all people who post on this article:Feb 1st, 2007 - 08:26:46

Have any of you ever had a girlfriend? I mean, really? Do something else with your lives other than sit in your rooms and beat off to how great your computers are. I hate all of you. Get your pale corpses out of your houses and play catch with the sons you would have if you wouldn't have spent all of your lives in front of a computer screen. All I really need a computer for is pornography, and windows XP ran that stuff just fine. Eat poopy.

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To the above poster,Feb 1st, 2007 - 17:28:20

Don't project the misery of your persoanl life on the rest of us.

We have lives. When you get one, you'll be happier too.

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