Releasing Windows VISTA: Moving towards a new Horizon
Windows Vista will write almost a new chapter in the
history, when it is released to world wide customers
on 31st January 2007. Microsoft, the makers of most
famous operating systems and most famous office suites,
have now defined a new dimension to Windows family of
operating systems by introducing a couple of new features
to Windows Vista. The celebrity looks and features makes
vista to be the most popular operating system in the
coming days. Microsoft has already released its business
edition to its business customers in its home state,
the US, on 30th November 2006. Being a major upgrade
after its 2001 upgrade to Windows XP, the operating
system hopes to bring good revenues for Microsoft.
Now, let us see the features of operating system for
a glance. There are many visible as well as hidden features
in Windows Vista. Let us see them one by one now.
Desktop changes: Introducing Transparency and Aero
Effects:
Mostly, it is certain that any visible changes to be
effective, has to take place in the desktop area itself.
Windows Vista certainly starts new era in 3D graphics
technology by giving three dimension look for its windows.
This is an amazing feature which stands to be superior
among all vista features. Another feature of course,
which is related to Desktop, is the translucent windows.
This brings semi transparency among windows enabling
the user to know which window is hiding behind the active
window. However, for these features to work, one should
have a highly configured computer with a graphics card
with at least 128 Graphics memory on the card, which
supports DirectX 9.0. DirectX is standard software which
is meant for displaying 2D and 3D objects. The look
of window got changed. You may just get surprised to
see minimize, maximize and close buttons wear a completely
different look, as if it is imported from MAC. Some
people, who tested beta versions, say that the design
look more elegant, but, they should not have designed
in such way that it resembles the MAC way. Another change
in desktop area, which you will notice easily, is there
will not be a word named as "Start" for the
start button. The size of the start button also got
reduced. Only windows logo gets displayed in the start
button.
Enhanced Search options:
Windows Vista offers a great level of search capabilities
to its users. This includes three methods of searching.
The three methods of searching are,
- Through search box
- Through file list headings
- Through search folder
One get search box in every folder window when opened.
One can easily find the document or file which is residing
in that folder and under its sub-folders. This certainly
enables one to find files faster in searching process
as it limits the search to only the particular folder
and its subfolder. The second method to locate files
and folders is through file list headings, by which
one can find a particular file by clicking the heading
that appear above the file list in the required folder.
The third method is through search folder, is an ordinary
searching method which we perform in Windows XP too.
We can use it whenever we don not know where the file
is located, but, knows only the file name. We can search
for a file in sub-folders, multiple folders, within
multiple partitions, hard disks, CD-ROMs, DVDs.
Web-Browsing: Internet Explorer Version 7.0:
Internet Explorer which is a most popular and default
browser for Windows family, has been upgraded to version
7.0. It is also provided with a number of tight security
measures for providing a good level of security. It
includes anti-phishing, anti-spying, anti-Malware programs.
Internet Explorer 7.0 also introduces a new feature
called tabbed browsing. Tabbed browsing enables one
to view information in groups in the same window rather
than opening different window for the information which
falls under one particular web site. Security update
will be made available for Internet Explorer 7.0 on
official Microsoft web site, Microsoft.com.
Files and folders:
The length of file names and folder names has not changed
from the previous version of Windows, i.e. Windows XP.
However, there will be more advanced options available.
One can protect the file from accessing, if the hard
drive is partitioned using the NTFS. This time, the
operating system and its associated files and programs
are more secured than ever before as Windows Vista;
itself gets installed to any of the NTFS partitions.
The icons for files and files have changed with the
ability to show whether the folder is empty or not.
This helps the user to recognize empty folders without
having to view the content or size of the folder. Windows
Vista helps the user to better organize files and folders.
There will be folders named as Documents, Pictures,
Videos, Downloads which are created by Windows Installer
program itself under the folder identified by particular
user name. We can make extensions of files visible.
One can rename the extensions too for enjoying greater
advantage.
Parental controls: A better way to control kids:
Do you want to have a quite sleep while kids play in
your computer? Or should you make him to do the home
work, in time at home and make him to obey your commands?
Yes, but how, especially when the boy spends almost
his time in front of the computer?
Now, you can control your kids who use computers for
playing games. Earlier, it was difficult to control
kids playing computer games. Now, windows Vista introduces
a new feature called Parental Controls, which controls
kids while using computer. Parents can now setup a separate
account for their kids and can tell Windows Vista to
block certain programs, especially the games, out of
reach for children. One can also define the time limit
for computer usage after which the child is forced to
logoff and shutdown. It is the parent's duty or responsibility
to remember & not to disclose the password of parental
account, to their kids! Parents can also keep track
of number of guesses made in the attempt to know parental
password, by the child.
Games:
Games got major boost in Windows Vista. Apart from
Solitaire, Minesweeper, Hearts, and FreeCell, spider
solitaire, Microsoft added chess, Purble Place and Shanghai
to its games kit of Windows Vista. But, you will get
a rare surprise to see the game Pinball goes out of
the list.
Side bar:
The sidebar has made a comeback in Windows Vista. Earlier
the sidebar was bundled in MS Office 97. If one compares
the side bar of Office 97 with the Windows Vista sidebar,
it is the Windows Vista's side bar looks more elegant
over the office 97 sidebar. This seems to be a new feature,
for those, who have not used office 97 at all. Side
bar is used to organize links to favorite locations
and programs. It enables one to access the favorite
links by using just single click of mouse!
More security options:
Windows Vista includes a two-way firewall. A firewall
is a part of security measure, which prevents unauthorized
network traffic in and out of the system by blocking
unauthorized requests. Only one way firewall was introduced
in Windows XP, by the Microsoft. The facility to block
only the incoming data was existed in one-way firewall.
Two-way firewall will help to block both incoming and
outgoing data. The system security will be enhanced
if it is released along with Windows Vista in place
of ordinary one-way firewall which is presently used
by default.
User Account Control enhances overall system security.
Windows Vista makes use of three types of accounts,
instead of two which was in case of Windows XP. Addition
to the administrator and guest accounts, a new account
type called as standard user account got introduced
in Windows Vista. This account is more secured and is
recommended for use when surfing the net.
Speech Recognition in Windows Vista:
Windows Vista certainly begins a new era in recognition
of speech. It makes use of entirely newly designed speech
recognition engine, version 7.0. The speech recognition
wizard, a step-by-step wizard, helps to make use of
speech recognition engine, in an efficient manner.
Other new features:
There are many hidden features in Windows Vista. One
of them is the way in which Windows Vista boots. Windows
Vista makes booting process faster than its predecessor
windows XP. For making booting process faster, Windows
Vista makes use of a newly defined architecture. This
architecture makes use of Boot Configuration Data instead
of settings in Boot.ini file. You will not see boot.ini
file in the system, if you have chosen only to install
Windows Vista in your system. But, Boot.ini exists in
the systems where you have more than one operating system
got installed for maintaining backward compatibility.
With a set of amazing new features, Windows Vista hopes
to take Microsoft and its users, to a new horizon. It
is certain that, people eagerly awaiting its release.
Good Luck Vista!
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