Compare Windows XP with Windows Vista
With the introduction of Windows Vista, Microsoft has
surged ahead in bringing out new features to old operating
system Windows XP. In Windows Vista, Microsoft revamped
several features which were present in Windows XP! If you are moving from XP to Vista, it's time to compare Vista Vs XP. Are you ready?
Compare installation phase
Let us start discussion on comparison from the process
of installation itself. In Windows XP, the system prompts
for user information, CD-Key, and other information
etc. after the process of copying files is done. In
Windows Vista, it will ask for information such as computer
name, CD-Key before the copying process. One cannot
install Windows Vista in drives formatted using FAT32
file systems! One need to have NTFS formatted partition
for installation of Windows Vista, which aims at secured
future operating systems. Security in FAT32 is less
compared to NTFS. Installation process was also fast,
compared to Windows XP.
Booting process
Next significant change is in the booting process.
The NT Boot Loader which was present in the other older
operating system has been replaced by Windows Boot Manager.
Windows Vista does not allow storing our own or application
files in Windows installed boot drives such as ‘C:’
for security reasons, for users including administrator.
Start Menu
Microsoft redesigned the desktop items, such as start
menu. The task bar which consist of start button, which
is similar in look of Windows XP start button. But,
the default color of the task bar has been changed.
Instead of classic blue, the default color has been
changed to coffee black.
Aero & 3D Effect
There is a new feature called “Aero” which
is enabled for use if the system contains a high graphics
card, which supports DirectX 9.0 and higher. This feature
which is not present in Windows XP enables one to view
the open windows as 3D windows. The task bar and open
windows can be given translucent, which means semi-transparent
effect, through “Aero” option.
Larger Icons on Desktop
The address bar of the Windows Vista Explorer is redesigned
to show path as “Computer > Local Disk (C:)
> My Folder > My Next Level Folder >”
instead of “C:My FolderMy Next Level Folder”
which was in Windows XP. The icons appearing on the
desktop has been made larger compared to Windows XP.
Microsoft has done away with word “My” in
the terms such as My Computer, My Document, in Windows
Vista.
Sidebar to save time
Microsoft brought a side bar similar to the side bar
of MS-Office 97. Programs can be quickly accessed, through
customizable buttons provided for the purpose. We need
not navigate through Start > Programs > Program
Group > Program Name” to run a program. Instead,
we can create a short cut on the side bar such that
Program Name can be directly accessed.
Adding an old hardware devices have a problem in Windows
Vista too, similar to Windows XP. It is said that Windows
XP Compatible hardware doesn’t have any problems.
Hardware devices which are not detected by Windows XP
have problems in Vista too. So, look for a logo “Windows
Vista or XP compatible” before buying the hardware.
Some old devices can be made to work, if the manufacturer
of the device can provide the needed XP or Vista compatible
drivers. But, some old devices or the system itself
may start to behave differently when we install a XP
or Vista compatible drivers which are provided by the
manufacturers.
Parental Control- Lets you control your Kid's activity
Vista on the other hand, has a new feature called Parental
Control, which is not present in Windows XP. Parents
can control their children who make use of the computer
for playing their popular games. Parents can now deny
access to the computer, deny playing games, and deny
even surfing internet. Parents now even can check the
status of guessing passwords.
Better Gaming performance
Performance wise, vista surges ahead compared to Windows
XP. The various tests such as iTunes encoding, Photoshop
CS2 image-processing, 3D games testing using F.E.A.R.,
has shown that better performance can be achieved in
Windows Vista, than Windows XP.
Additional cost to computer user
But, with Windows Vista, it is hard time for people
with old systems, as they need to burn some of their
extra energy, in purchasing hardware. The RAM needed
to be at least 256 MB. One cannot run Vista Aero feature,
without a good 3D graphics card that too should support
Direct X 9.0. Performance will be slow, if the processor
speed is lower than 2.0 GHz.
Final Thoughts
One thing is sure, Windows Vista surely will be a replacement
for Windows XP, in terms of performance, number of rich
features, the way it manages the computer resources
etc. As Vista is in beta phase, we can expect decent
performace when it finally comes put. Let us wait &
watch. |
