WINDOWS VISTA

Windows Vista:-

Windows Vista is the next version of Microsoft’s proprietary family of operating systems, Microsoft Windows. It was announced as Vista on July 22, 2005 and is expected to be released in November 2006 and January 2007 (for the Business and Consumer editions respectively). The new operating system boasts of many new and improved features that include better audio, video and print sub-systems and a highly advanced graphical user interface that is termed as Windows Aero.

Features of Windows Vista:-

Windows Vista has many new features that would benefit the end user in some way or the other. These are explained below:

(1) A completely redesigned interface for interacting with the operating system has been developed and named Windows Aero which stands for “Authentic, Energetic, Reflective and Open”.
(2) The Windows Shell has been completely ‘reprogrammed’ and differs in a major way from that of Windows XP. The Start Menu has been altered and no longer uses expanding boxes.
(3) The Windows instant search feature has been made even faster and more efficient in operation with increased functionality.
(4) A sidebar, called the Windows Sidebar, has been added to the operating system where a user may place Desktop Gadgets or other similar widget programs. Also, it is independent of Internet Explorer thus eliminating the “Active Desktop” feature.
(5) The new Internet browser, Windows Internet Explorer 7 has a new interface and supports tabbed browsing, zooming, searching and other such features. The browser also has improved security features including a phishing filter and it also disables the use of ActiveX controls by default.
(6) Windows Vista introduces the new version of Windows Media Player, version 11, which features a better graphical interface along with an improved media library and ability to display photos and share music.
(7) Outlook Express has now been replaced by Windows Mail that is more stable and makes it easier to search emails. It also incorporates junk mail filtering.
(8) DirectX 10 gives Windows Vista its visual spice and includes Shader Model 4.0 and Geometry shaders.
(9) Windows Vista features a new and simplified Windows Update facility that functions through a control panel instead of a web application.
(10) Speech recognition has been made an integral part of Windows Vista that can be used to execute commands and to give voice dictation.
(11) Newer and crisper fonts have been included along with support for Japanese fonts.
(12) A new calendar application called Windows Calendar has been added.
(13) A video DVD creation software called Windows DVD Maker has also been introduced.
(14) NetMeeting has been replaced with Windows Meeting Space.
(15) The features of Windows Media Center Edition that was being marketed as a separate product have been fully integrated into Windows Vista.
(16) The Windows Task Manager can now control all Windows services and so also monitor all processes and their properties.
(17) The Task Scheduler has also been improved in functionality.
(18) A benchmark system called the System Performance Assessment has been added to control the operating system and improve its performance. This function can be put to use by modern games to improve their own performance according to the operating system’s condition.
(19) A new document format, called the XPS Documents, has been introduced to store information and enable its sharing in a secure manner. It stores information through a pixel perfect rendition of the source document it is made from. The document format is independent of the application that uses it.
(20) Windows Vista also has support for data protection and its BitLocker Drive Encryption feature encrypts the whole Windows volume (though this is only available in the Enterprise and Ultimate editions).
(21) The Windows Firewall has been improved to monitor both incoming and outgoing traffic and provide ample security.
(22) Windows Vista also features an anti-spyware program called the Windows

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