Microsoft released Vista, its first new
The name Vista replaced "
Some new features include security improvements, new graphics, and a new means of searching and organizing information. The use of virtual folders will prevent users from having to remember the single folder where something is stored. Microsoft is also trying to simplify a variety of other tasks, such as adding a PC to a home network or connecting a laptop to a projector.
The previous version of Windows for the desktop. Released in late 2006 for businesses and early 2007 for consumers, Vista comes in six versions (see Windows Vista versions). Vista added numerous features, including improved security (see NGSCB) and greater support for digital rights management, but required more memory than XP, typically 2GB being a safe bet. See Windows and Windows 7.
New User Interface
Many Vista user interface elements changed from XP including terminology, menus and dialog boxes. Vista's "Aero" interface takes advantage of PCs with advanced 3D graphics, providing features such as translucent window borders (see Aero). Also improved was the navigation of the file/folder hierarchy in Explorer (see Vista breadcrumbs).
Enhanced Search and File Management
Vista speeds up the indexed file searching over Windows XP and enables results to be stored in a virtual folder that is updated automatically. The search also extends to syndication feeds, and developers can employ the search capability in their own programs to enhance functionality.
Messaging, Workflow and User Identity
Vista includes new systems for local messaging between applications and Web services, a workflow component for automating tasks and a user identity system for personal information and site logon. These functions are also available for Windows XP and Windows Server 2003. See .NET Framework 3.0.
New Document Interchange Format - XPS
Vista supports the XML Paper Specification (XPS) document format. Enabling digital signatures and digital rights to be applied to the documents, XPS also keeps the page layout intact from computer to computer, similar to Adobe's PDF format. See XML Paper Specification.
Downsized Before Released
One eagerly awaited feature was Windows Future Storage (see WinFS), a subsystem that uses a relational database on top of the NTFS file system. It allows users to combine heterogeneous data such as files, folders, e-mail and contacts into collections that can be viewed together. Although highly touted, WinFS was never included in Vista.Explorer's terminology and hierarchy changed in Vista with many names made shorter as in this comparison to Windows XP. All the "My's" were dropped. My Computer, My Network Places and My Documents changed to "Computer," "Network" and "Documents." Shared Documents changed to "Public."
Windows Vista is a line of operating systems developed by Microsoft for use on personal computers, including home and business desktops, laptops, tablet PCs, and media center PCs. Prior to its announcement on July 22, 2005, Windows Vista was known by its codename "Longhorn."[4] Development was completed on November 8, 2006; over the following three months it was released in stages to computer hardware and software manufacturers, business customers, and retail channels. On January 30, 2007, it was released worldwide,[5] and was made available for purchase and download from Microsoft's website.[6] The release of Windows Vista came more than five years after the introduction of its predecessor, Windows XP, the longest time span between successive releases of Microsoft Windows desktop operating systems. It was succeeded by Windows 7 which was released to manufacturing on July 22, 2009, and for the general public on October 22, 2009.
Windows Vista contains many changes and new features, including an updated graphical user interface and visual style dubbed Aero, a redesigned search function, multimedia tools including Windows DVD Maker, and redesigned networking, audio, print, and display sub-systems. Vista aims to increase the level of communication between machines on a home network, using peer-to-peer technology to simplify sharing files and media between computers and devices. Windows Vista includes version 3.0 of the .NET Framework, allowing software developers to write applications without traditional Windows APIs.
Microsoft's primary stated objective with Windows Vista has been to improve the state of security in the Windows operating system.[7] One common criticism of Windows XP and its predecessors is their commonly exploited security vulnerabilities and overall susceptibility to malware, viruses and buffer overflows. In light of this, Microsoft chairman Bill Gates announced in early 2002 a company-wide "Trustworthy Computing initiative" which aims to incorporate security work into every aspect of software development at the company. Microsoft stated that it prioritized improving the security of Windows XP and Windows Server 2003 above finishing Windows Vista, thus delaying its completion.[8]
While these new features and security improvements have garnered positive reviews, Vista has also been the target of much criticism and negative press. Criticism of Windows Vista has targeted its high system requirements, its more restrictive licensing terms, the inclusion of a number of new digital rights management technologies aimed at restricting the copying of protected digital media, lack of compatibility with some pre-Vista hardware and software, and the number of authorization prompts for User Account Control. As a result of these and other issues, Windows Vista had seen initial adoption and satisfaction rates lower than Windows XP.[9] However, with an estimated 330 million Internet users as of January 2009, it had been announced that Vista usage had surpassed Microsoft’s pre-launch two-year-out expectations of achieving 200 million users.[10][11] At the release of Windows 7 (October 2009), Windows Vista (with approximately 400 million Internet users) was the second most widely used operating system on the Internet with an approximately 18.6% market share, the most widely used being Windows XP with an approximately 63.3% market share. As of the end of February 2010, Windows Vista's market share is down to 20.07%, having peaked at 22.64% in August 2009.| Windows Vista | |
|---|---|
| Part of the Microsoft Windows family | |
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| Screenshot of Windows Vista Ultimate | |
| Developer | |
| Microsoft | |
| Website | Official website |
| Releases | |
| Release date | RTM: November 8, 2006; Vol. Lic.: November 30, 2006; Retail: January 30, 2007 (info) |
| Current version | 6.0 Service Pack 2 (SP2) (Build 6002) (6002.18005.090410-1830[1]) (April 28, 2009) (info) |
| Source model | Closed source / Shared source[2] |
| License | EULA |
| Kernel type | Hybrid |
| Update method | Windows Update, Windows Server Update Services, SCCM |
| Platform support | IA-32, x86-64 |
