   #copyright

Windows Vista

2007 Schools Wikipedia Selection. Related subjects: Software

   Windows Vista
   (Part of the Microsoft Windows family)
   Screenshot
   Screenshot of Windows Vista
   Developer
   Microsoft
   Web site: www.microsoft.com/windowsvista/
   Release information
   Release date:    January 30, 2007 info
   Current version: RTM (Build 6000) ( November 8, 2006) info
   Source model:    Closed source
   License:         Microsoft EULA
   Kernel type:     Hybrid kernel
   Support status
   Released on November 8, 2006 to manufacturing. Released on November 17,
   2006 to MSDN subscribers. Will be released on November 30, 2006 for
   volume license customers and January 30, 2007 for worldwide retail
   availability.
   Further reading
     * Features new to Windows Vista
     * Security and safety features new to Windows Vista
     * Development of Windows Vista
     * Criticism of Windows Vista

   Windows Vista is the name of the latest release of Microsoft Windows, a
   line of graphical operating systems used on personal computers,
   including home and business desktops, notebook computers, and media
   centers. Prior to its announcement on July 22, 2005, Vista was known by
   its codename Longhorn. On November 8, 2006, Windows Vista development
   was completed and is now in the release to manufacturing stage;
   Microsoft has stated that the scheduled release dates are currently
   November 30, 2006 for volume license customers and worldwide
   availability on January 30, 2007. Windows Vista English Edition was
   released to MSDN subscribers on November 16, 2006, These release dates
   come more than five years after the release of Windows XP, Microsoft's
   current consumer and business operating system, making it the longest
   time span between major releases of Windows.

   According to Microsoft, Windows Vista contains hundreds of new
   features, some of the most significant of which include an updated
   graphical user interface and visual style dubbed Windows Aero, improved
   searching features, new multimedia creation tools such as Windows DVD
   Maker, and completely redesigned networking, audio, print, and display
   sub-systems. Vista also aims to increase the level of communication
   between machines on a home network using peer-to-peer technology,
   making it easier to share files and digital media between computers and
   devices. For developers, Vista introduces version 3.0 of the .NET
   Framework, which aims to make it significantly easier for developers to
   write high-quality applications than with the traditional Windows API.

   Microsoft's primary stated objective with Vista, however, has been to
   improve the state of security in the Windows operating system. One of
   the most common criticisms of Windows XP and its predecessors has been
   their commonly exploited security vulnerabilities and overall
   susceptibility to malware, viruses and buffer overflows. In light of
   this, then 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 claimed that it prioritized improving the
   security of Windows XP and Windows Server 2003 above finishing Windows
   Vista, significantly delaying its completion.

   During the course of its development, Vista has been the target of a
   number of negative assessments by various groups. Criticism of Windows
   Vista has included protracted development time, more restrictive
   licensing terms, the inclusion of a number of new Digital Rights
   Management technologies aimed at restricting the copying of protected
   digital media, and the usability of new features such as User Account
   Control.

Development

   Microsoft started work on their plans for "Longhorn" in May 2001, prior
   to the release of Microsoft's Windows XP operating system. It was
   originally expected to ship sometime late in 2003 as a minor step
   between Windows XP and "Blackcomb" (now known as Windows "Vienna").
   Indeed, Longhorn, Vista's original codename, was an allusion to this
   plan. While Whistler-Blackcomb is a large ski resort in British
   Columbia, Longhorn Saloon & Grill is the name of an après bar between
   the two mountains that Whistler's visitors pass to reach Blackcomb.
   Gradually, "Longhorn" assimilated many of the important new features
   and technologies slated for "Blackcomb", resulting in the release date
   being pushed back a few times. Many of Microsoft's developers were also
   re-tasked with improving the security of Windows XP. Faced with ongoing
   delays and concerns about feature creep, Microsoft announced on August
   27, 2004 that it was making significant changes. "Longhorn" development
   basically started afresh, building on the Windows Server 2003 codebase,
   and re-incorporating only the features that would be intended for an
   actual operating system release. Some previously announced features,
   such as WinFS and NGSCB, were dropped or postponed, and a new software
   development methodology called the "Security Development Lifecycle" was
   incorporated in an effort to address concerns with the security of the
   Windows codebase.

   After "Longhorn" was named Windows Vista, an unprecedented beta-test
   program was started, which has involved hundreds of thousands of
   volunteers and companies. In September 2005, Microsoft started
   releasing regular Community Technology Previews (CTP) to beta testers.
   The first of these was distributed among 2005 Microsoft Professional
   Developers Conference attendees, and was subsequently released to
   Microsoft Beta testers and Microsoft Developer Network subscribers. The
   builds that followed incorporated most of the planned features for the
   final product, as well as a number of changes to the user interface,
   based in large part on feedback from beta testers. Windows Vista was
   deemed feature-complete with the release of the "February CTP",
   released on February 22, 2006, and much of the remainder of work
   between that build and the final release of the product focused on
   stability, performance, application and driver compatibility, and
   documentation. Beta 2, released in late May, was the first build to be
   made available to the general public through Microsoft's Customer
   Preview Program. It was downloaded by more than five million people.
   Two release candidates followed this in September and October, both of
   which were made available to a large number of users.

   While Microsoft had originally hoped to have the operating system
   available worldwide in time for the 2006 holiday season, it was
   announced in March 2006 that the release date would be pushed back to
   January 2007, so as to give the company – and the hardware and software
   companies which Microsoft depends on for providing device drivers –
   additional time to prepare. Through much of 2006, analysts and bloggers
   had speculated that Windows Vista would be delayed further, owing to
   anti-trust concerns raised by the European Commission and South Korea,
   and due to a perceived lack of progress with the beta releases.
   However, with the November 8, 2006 announcement of the completion of
   Windows Vista, Microsoft's most lengthy operating system development
   project in the company's history has come to an end.

New and improved features

   Windows Vista has a long list of new features, changes, and
   improvements. Recent development builds of Windows Vista, Microsoft
   employee blogs, and published documentation (including a near-complete
   list of features in the Windows Vista Product Guide) have collectively
   identified most of the features that Microsoft intends to include when
   the product is released.

End-user features

     * Windows Aero: a new hardware-based graphical user interface, named
       Windows Aero – an acronym (possibly a backronym) for Authentic,
       Energetic, Reflective, and Open. The new interface is intended to
       be cleaner and more aesthetically pleasing than previous Windows,
       including new transparencies, animations and eye candy.
     * Windows Shell: The new Windows shell is significantly different
       from Windows XP, offering a new range of organization, navigation,
       and search capabilities. Windows Explorer's task pane has been
       removed, integrating the relevant task options into the toolbar. A
       "Favorite links" pane has been added, enabling one-click access to
       common directories. The address bar has been replaced with a
       breadcrumb navigation system. The Start menu has changed as well;
       it no longer uses ever-expanding boxes when navigating through
       Programs. Even the word "Start" itself has been removed in favour
       of a blue Windows Orb.
     * Windows Search (also known as Instant Search or search as you
       type): significantly faster and more thorough search capabilities.
       Search boxes have been added to the Start menu, Windows Explorer,
       and several of the applications included with Vista. By default,
       Instant Search indexes only a small number of folders such as the
       start menu, the names of files opened, the Documents folder, and
       the user's e-mail.

     * Windows Sidebar: A transparent panel anchored to the side of the
       screen where a user can place Desktop Gadgets, which are small
       applets designed for a specialized purpose (such as displaying the
       weather or sports scores). Gadgets can also be placed on other
       parts of the Desktop, if desired. The technology bears some
       resemblance to the older Active Channel and Active Desktop
       technologies introduced with Windows 95 OEM Service Release 2.5,
       but the gadgets technology is more versatile, and is not integrated
       with the Internet Explorer browser in the same way as Active
       Desktop.
     * Windows Internet Explorer 7: new user interface, tabbed browsing,
       RSS, a search box, improved printing, Page Zoom, Quick Tabs
       (thumbnails of all open tabs), a number of new security protection
       features, and improved web standards support.
     * Windows Media Player 11, a major revamp of Microsoft's program for
       playing and organizing music and video. New features in this
       version include word wheeling (or "search as you type"), a
       completely new and highly graphical interface for the media
       library, photo display and organization, and the ability to share
       music libraries over a network with other Vista machines, Xbox 360
       integration, and support for other Media Centre Extenders.
     * Backup and Restore Centre: Includes a backup and restore
       application that gives users the ability to schedule periodic
       backups of files on their computer, as well as recovery from
       previous backups. Backups are incremental, storing only the changes
       each time, minimizing the disk usage. It also features CompletePC
       Backup which backs up an entire computer as an image onto a hard
       disk or DVD. CompletePC Backup can automatically recreate a machine
       setup onto new hardware or hard disk in case of any hardware
       failures.
     * Windows Mail: A replacement for Outlook Express that includes a
       completely replaced mail store that improves stability, and enables
       real-time search. New Junk mail filtering.

     * Windows Calendar is a new calendar and task application.
     * Windows Photo Gallery, a photo and movie library management
       application. WPG can import from digital cameras, tag and rate
       individual items, adjust colors and exposure, create and display
       slideshows (with pan and fade effects), and burn slideshows to DVD.
     * Windows DVD Maker, a companion program to Windows Movie Maker,
       which provides the ability to create video DVDs based on a user's
       content.
     * Windows Meeting Space is the replacement for NetMeeting. Users can
       share applications (or their entire Desktop) with other users on
       the local network, or over the Internet using peer-to-peer
       technology.
     * Windows Media Centre, which was previously exclusively bundled as a
       separate version of Windows XP, known as Windows XP Media Centre
       Edition, will be incorporated into the Home Premium and Ultimate
       editions of Windows Vista.

     * Games: Every game included with Windows has been rewritten to take
       advantage of Vista's new graphics capabilities. New games include
       Chess Titans, Mahjong Titans and Purble Place. The Games section
       will also hold links and information to all games on the user's
       computer. One piece of information that will be shown is the game's
       ESRB rating.

     * Previous Versions automatically creates backup copies of files and
       folders, with daily frequency. Users can also create "shadow
       copies" by setting a System Protection Point using the System
       Protection tab in the System control panel. The user can be
       presented multiple versions of a file throughout a limited history
       and be allowed to restore, delete, or copy those versions. This
       feature is available only in the Business, Enterprise, and Ultimate
       editions of Windows Vista and is inherited from Windows Server
       2003.
     * The Windows Mobility Centre is a new control panel that centralizes
       the most relevant information related to mobile computing (e.g.
       brightness, sound, battery level / power scheme selection, wireless
       network, screen orientation, presentation settings, etc.).
     * Windows Update: Software and security updates have been simplified,
       now operating solely via a control panel instead of as a web
       application. Mail's spam filter and Defender's definitions will
       also be automatically updated via Windows Update.
     * Parental controls: Allows administrators to control which websites,
       programs, and games each standard user can use and install.
     * Windows SideShow: Enables the auxiliary displays on newer laptops
       or on supported Windows Mobile devices. It is meant to be used to
       display Device gadgets while the computer is on or off.
     * Speech recognition is fully integrated into Vista, which can be
       "trained" to understand a user's voice, to activate commands in any
       Windows application, and to enable voice dictation. It supports
       multiple languages.
     * Many new fonts, including several designed especially for screen
       reading, and new high-quality Chinese (Yahei, JhengHei), Japanese
       (Meiryo) and Korean (Malgun) fonts. See Windows Vista typefaces.
       ClearType has also been enhanced and enabled by default.
     * Touchscreen support will be included as part of Tablet PC, which
       will be incorporated as a standard component.
     * Problem Reports and Solutions, a new control panel which allows
       users to see previously sent problems and any solutions or
       additional information that is available.
     * Improved audio controls allow the system-wide volume or volume of
       individual audio devices and even individual applications to be
       controlled separately.
     * Full Symbolic links support has been made available for the first
       time to Windows users in Vista.
     * System Performance Assessment is a benchmark used by Windows Vista
       to regulate the system for optimum performance. Games can take
       advantage of this feature, reading the data produced by this
       benchmark in order to fine-tune the game details. The benchmark
       tests CPU, RAM, Graphics acceleration (2D and 3D) and disk access.
     * Enable advanced performance for hard disks and a PC with a power
       supply - When the option is enabled, the HDD operates in write-back
       cache mode, in which all the data that gets written to the drive is
       first stored in the cache, and then later written to the disk. Both
       writes and reads are cached in this case. With it disabled, the HDD
       operates like Windows XP, in write-through cache mode, in which all
       data that gets written to the drive is immediately written to the
       disks and also stored in the cache. Writes are not cached, but
       reads are.

Core technologies

   Windows Vista is intended to be a technology-based release, to provide
   a solid base to include advanced technologies, many of which will be
   related to how the system functions, and hence not readily visible to
   the user. An example of this is the complete restructuring of the
   architecture of the audio, print, display, and networking subsystems;
   while the results of this work will be clearly visible to software
   developers, end-users will only see what appear to be evolutionary
   changes in the user interface.

   Vista includes technologies such as ReadyBoost and ReadyDrive which
   employ fast flash memory (located on USB drives and hybrid hard disk
   drives respectively) to improve system performance by caching
   commonly-used programs and data. This manifests itself in improved
   battery life on notebook computers as well, since a hybrid drive can be
   spun down when not in use. Another new technology called SuperFetch
   utilizes machine learning techniques to analyze usage patterns in order
   to allow Windows Vista to make intelligent decisions about what content
   should be present in system memory at any given time.

   As part of the complete redesign of the networking architecture, IPv6
   has been fully incorporated into the operating system, and a number of
   performance improvements have been introduced, such as TCP window
   scaling. Prior versions of Windows typically needed third-party
   wireless networking software to work properly; this is no longer the
   case with Vista, as it includes more comprehensive wireless networking
   support.

   For graphics, Vista introduces a new Windows Display Driver Model, as
   well as major revision to Direct3D. The new driver model facilitates
   the new Desktop Window Manager, which provides the tearing-free desktop
   and special effects that are the cornerstones of Windows Aero. Direct3D
   10, developed in conjunction with major display driver manufacturers,
   is a new architecture with more advanced shader support, and allows the
   graphics processing unit to render more complex scenes without
   assistance from the CPU. It features improved load balancing between
   CPU and GPU and also optimizes data transfer between them.

   At the core of the operating system, many improvements have been made
   to the memory manager, process scheduler, heap manager, and I/O
   scheduler. A Kernel Transaction Manager has been implemented that gives
   applications the ability to work with the file system and registry
   using atomic transaction operations.

Security-related technologies

   Improved security was the primary design goal for Vista. Microsoft’s
   Trustworthy Computing initiative, which aims to improve public trust in
   its products, has had a direct effect on the development of Vista.
   Security-related technologies include:
     * User Account Control (UAC) is a new security technology that allows
       Windows to operate effectively as a "standard" user with fewer
       privileges. This was often a difficult thing to do in previous
       versions of Windows, because the previous "limited" user accounts
       proved too restrictive and incompatible with a large proportion of
       application software. When an action requiring administrative
       rights is requested, the user will first be prompted to confirm
       their action (or be asked for an administrator password if they are
       not themselves an administrator). UAC asks for credentials in a
       Secure Desktop mode, where the entire screen is blacked out and
       temporarily disabled, to present only the elevation UI. This is to
       prevent spoofing of the UI or the mouse by the application
       requesting elevation and for preventing application-based Shatter
       attacks. UAC also provides files and registry virtualization. IE7
       Protected Mode relays on UAC.
     * Integrity mechanism restrict write access to securable objects by
       lower integrity processes, much the same way that user account
       group membership restricts the rights of users to access sensitive
       system components.
     * User Interface Privilege Isolation (UIPI) prevents processes from
       sending selected window messages, hook and attach to processes
       running with higher integrity.
     * Windows Firewall with Advanced Security: Supports filtering both
       incoming and outgoing traffic. It's also possible to create
       advanced packet filter rules. Rules can be configured for services
       by its service name chosen by a list, without needing to specify
       the full path file name.
     * Windows Defender: Microsoft's Anti-spyware product has been
       incorporated into Windows, offering protection against spyware and
       other threats. Changes to various system configuration settings
       (such as new auto-starting applications) are blocked unless the
       user gives consent. The new version uses Windows Automatic Updates
       to receive definition updates, also works properly with standard
       user accounts, and has integration with IE and Windows Mail so that
       downloads and mail attachments are scanned when they are
       downloaded, which reduces the risk of accidentally downloading
       malicious software.
     * BitLocker Drive Encryption is a data protection feature that
       provides encryption for the entire OS volume that will only be
       included in the Enterprise and Ultimate editions of Vista.
       Bitlocker can work in conjunction with a Trusted Platform Module
       chip that is on a computer's motherboard.
     * Windows Service Hardening prevents Windows Services from doing
       operations on file systems, registry or networks which they are not
       supposed to by automatically running each service in a separate
       user account, thereby preventing entry of malware by piggybacking
       on system services.
     * Address Space Layout Randomization (ASLR) to prevent Return-to-libc
       buffer overflow attacks.
     * Windows Filtering Platform enables software such as firewall
       products to perform activities such as packet inspection.
       Anti-virus software can also use the file system mini filter to
       participate in file system activities.
     * Kernel Patch Protection protects the integrity of the kernel for
       the 64-bit version from malicious attacks and from inadvertent
       reliability problems that result from patching. This is not
       actually a new security feature in Windows Vista; it was first
       supported on the x64 (AMD64/EM64T) CPU architecture versions of
       Microsoft Windows including Microsoft Windows Server 2003 SP1 and
       Microsoft Windows XP Professional x64 Edition. Kernel Patch
       Protection monitors if key resources used by the kernel or kernel
       code itself has been modified and will initiate a shut down of the
       system if unauthorized patches of certain data structures or code
       are detected. Kernel Patch Protection has been designed to protect
       against threats such as rootkits, although it cannot currently
       prevent attacks exploiting hardware-based virtualization; this was
       demonstrated by the Blue pill.
     * Code Integrity (CI) protects Windows Vista by verifying that system
       binaries haven’t been tampered with by malicious code and by
       ensuring that there are no unsigned drivers running in kernel mode
       on the system. CI starts as Windows starts up. The boot loader
       checks the integrity of the kernel, the Hardware Abstraction Layer
       (HAL), and the boot-start drivers. After these binaries have been
       verified, the system starts and the memory manager calls CI to
       verify any binaries that are loaded into the kernel’s memory space.
       The binaries are verified by looking up their signatures in the
       system catalogs. Aside from the kernel memory space, CI verifies
       binaries loaded into a protected process and system installed
       dynamic libraries that implement core cryptographic functions.
     * Internet Explorer 7's new security and safety features include a
       phishing filter, IDN with anti-spoofing technology, and better
       integration of system-wide parental controls. For added security,
       ActiveX controls are disabled by default. Also, Internet Explorer
       operates in a "protected mode" sandbox which operates with lower
       permissions than the user, preventing it from accessing or
       modifying anything besides the Temporary Internet Files directory.
       Also, for better security, Internet Explorer is no longer
       integrated with the explorer shell (local files typed in IE are
       opened using the explorer shell and Web sites typed in the explorer
       shell are opened using the default web browser).
     * Added new SSL and TLS extensions, which enable the support of both
       AES and new ECC cipher suites. The support for AES is not available
       in Microsoft Windows 2000 or Windows Server 2003.

Business technologies

   While much of the focus of Vista's new capabilities has been on the new
   user interface, security technologies, and improvements to the core
   operating system, Microsoft is also adding new deployment and
   maintenance features to make a compelling case for businesses still
   running Windows NT, 2000, and XP desktops.
     * The WIM image format (Windows IMage) is the cornerstone of
       Microsoft's new deployment and packaging system. WIM files, which
       contain an image of Windows Vista, can be maintained and patched
       without having to rebuild new images. Windows Images can be
       delivered via Systems Management Server or Business Desktop
       Deployment technologies. Images can be customized and configured
       with applications then deployed to corporate client personal
       computers using little to no touch by a system administrator.
       ImageX is the Microsoft tool used to create and customize images.
     * Windows Deployment Services replaces Remote Installation Services
       for deploying Vista and prior versions of Windows.
     * Approximately 800 new Group Policy settings have been added,
       covering most aspects of the new features in the operating system,
       as well as significantly expanding the configurability of wireless
       networks, removable storage devices, and user desktop experience.

     * Services for UNIX has been renamed "Subsystem for UNIX-based
       Applications", and is included with the Enterprise and Ultimate
       editions of Vista. Network File System (NFS) client support is also
       included.
     * Wireless Projector support

Developer technologies

   Windows Vista includes a large number of new application programming
   interfaces. Chief among them is the inclusion of version 3.0 of the
   .NET Framework, which consists of a class library and Common Language
   Runtime. Version 3.0 includes several new technologies:

   Presentation
          The Windows Presentation Foundation or WPF, formerly code-named
          Avalon: a new user interface subsystem and framework based on
          Direct3D (DirectX), and vector graphics, which will make use of
          3D computer graphics hardware and Direct3D technologies. See
          Windows Graphics Foundation. It provides the foundation for
          building applications and blending together application UI,
          documents, and media content.

   Communication
          The Windows Communication Foundation or WCF, formerly code-named
          Indigo: a service-oriented messaging subsystem which will enable
          applications and systems to interoperate locally or remotely
          using Web services.

   Workflow
          The Windows Workflow Foundation or WF: was announced in August
          2005, and allows task automation and integrated transactions
          using workflows. It is the programming model, engine and tools
          for building workflow enabled applications on Windows.

   Identity
          Windows CardSpace or WCS, formerly code-named InfoCard, is a
          software component which securely stores digital identities of a
          person, and provides a unified interface for choosing the
          identity for a particular transaction, such as logging into a
          website.

   These technologies will also be available for Windows XP and Windows
   Server 2003 to facilitate their introduction to and usage by developers
   and end users.

   There are also significant new development APIs in the core of the
   operating system, notably the completely re-architected audio,
   networking, print, and video interfaces, major changes to the security
   infrastructure, improvements to the deployment and installation of
   applications (" ClickOnce" and Windows Installer 4.0), new device
   driver development model (" Windows Driver Foundation"), Transactional
   NTFS, mobile computing API advancements (power management, Tablet PC
   Ink support, SideShow) and major updates to (or complete replacements
   of) many core subsystems such as Winlogon and CAPI.

   There are some issues for software developers using some of the
   graphics APIs in Vista. Games or programs which are built on Vista's
   version of DirectX, 10, will not work on prior versions of Windows, as
   DirectX 10 is not backwards-compatible with DirectX 9. According to a
   Microsoft blog, there are three choices for OpenGL implementation on
   Vista. An application can use the default implementation, which
   translates OpenGL calls into the Direct3D API and is frozen at OpenGL
   version 1.4, or an application can use an Installable Client Driver
   (ICD), which comes in two flavours: legacy and Vista-compatible. A
   legacy ICD, the kind already provided by independent hardware vendors
   targeting Windows XP, will disable the Desktop Window Manager,
   noticeably degrading user experience under Windows Aero. A
   Vista-compatible ICD takes advantage of a new API, and will be fully
   compatible with the Desktop Window Manager. At least two primary
   vendors, ATI and NVIDIA, are expected to provide full Vista-compatible
   ICDs in the near future.

Deprecated features

   Some notable Windows XP features and components have been replaced or
   removed in Windows Vista. Perhaps the most significant of these is the
   removal of Windows Messenger, the network Messenger Service,
   HyperTerminal, MSN Explorer, and the replacement of NetMeeting with
   Windows Meeting Space. Windows Vista also does not include the Windows
   XP "Luna" visual theme, or most of the classic colour schemes which
   have been part of Windows since the Windows 3.x era. The "Hardware
   profiles" startup feature has been removed as well, along with support
   for older motherboard technologies like the EISA bus and APM.
   WinHlp32.exe, used to display 32-bit .hlp files, is no longer included
   in Windows Vista as Microsoft considers it obsolete. This has resulted
   in a number of older programs not being able to display Help when
   running on Vista. In addition, Microsoft prohibits software
   manufacturers from re-introducing it with their products. However,
   WinHlp32.exe can still be installed manually from Microsoft's Download
   Centre.

   telnet.exe is no longer installed by default, but is still included as
   an installable feature.

Postponed features

   During the course of development, a number of features that had been
   announced or discussed publicly are no longer slated to be included
   with the initial release of Windows Vista.
     * Due to scheduling issues, the Windows PowerShell, code-named Monad,
       will not be included in Windows Vista. However, it is available as
       a separate download .
     * Owing to significant difficulties in getting third-party developers
       to support the system (particularly due to the lack of support for
       writing for the Trusted Operating Root using .NET managed code),
       the Next-Generation Secure Computing Base architecture was
       abandoned for Windows Vista. Some aspects of the NGSCB initiative,
       such as support for Trusted Platform Module chips, are still
       present, though its role is now limited to being a provider of
       cryptographic functions which will support BitLocker Drive
       Encryption.

     * Support for Intel's Extensible Firmware Interface was originally
       slated to be included with Vista, but has been removed due to what
       Microsoft has described as a lack of support on desktop computers.
       The UEFI 2.0 specification (which replaces EFI 1.10) was not
       completed until early 2006, and as of mid-2006, no firmware
       manufacturers have completed a production implementation. Microsoft
       has stated that it intends on incorporating 64-bit UEFI support
       into a future update to Vista, but 32-bit UEFI will not be
       supported.

     * PC-to-PC Sync, a technology for synchronizing folders on multiple
       computers using peer-to-peer technology, was removed due to quality
       concerns. Microsoft plans to release it after Vista's release.

Visual styles

   Windows Vista has four distinct visual styles.

   Windows Aero
          Vista's premier visual style is built on a new desktop
          composition engine called Desktop Window Manager. Windows Aero
          introduces support for 3D graphics (Windows Flip 3D),
          translucency effects (Glass), window animations and other visual
          effects, and is intended for mainstream and high-end graphics
          cards. To enable these features, the contents of every open
          window is stored in video memory to facilitate tearing-free
          movement of windows. As such, Windows Aero has significantly
          higher hardware requirements than its predecessors. 64 MB of
          graphics memory is the minimum requirement, depending on
          resolution used. Windows Aero (including Windows Flip 3D) is not
          planned for inclusion in the Starter and Home Basic editions,
          and requires Windows Genuine Advantage to be passed.

   Windows Vista Standard
          This mode is a variation of Windows Aero without the glass
          effects, window animations, and other advanced graphical effects
          such as Windows Flip 3D. Like Windows Aero, it uses the Desktop
          Window Manager, and has generally the same video hardware
          requirements as Windows Aero. This is the default mode for the
          Windows Vista Home Basic Edition. The Starter (developing
          markets) edition does not support this mode.

   Windows Vista Basic
          This mode has aspects that are similar to Windows XP's visual
          style with the addition of subtle animations such as those found
          on progress bars. It does not employ the Desktop Window Manager;
          as such, it does not feature transparency or translucency,
          window animation, Windows Flip 3D or any of the functions
          provided by the DWM. The Basic mode does not require the new
          Windows Display Driver Model (WDDM) for display drivers, and has
          similar graphics card requirements to Windows XP. For computers
          with graphics cards that are not powerful enough to support
          Windows Aero, this is the default graphics mode.

   Windows Classic
          An option for corporate deployments and upgrades, Windows
          Classic has the look and feel of Windows 2000 and Windows Server
          2003, does not use the Desktop Window Manager and does not
          require a WDDM driver. As with prior versions of Windows, this
          theme supports "Color schemes" which are a collection of color
          settings. Windows Vista includes six classic color schemes,
          comprised of four high-contrast colour schemes, as well as the
          default colour schemes from Windows 95 and Windows 2000.

   "Windows Aero" style. "Windows Vista Standard" is similar in appearance
                but without the glass effects around windows.

                     "Windows Vista Basic" visual style.

                       "Windows Classic" visual style.

Hardware requirements

   According to Microsoft, computers capable of running Windows Vista are
   classified as Vista Capable and Vista Premium Ready. A Vista Capable or
   equivalent PC needs to have at least 800 MHz processor, 512 MB RAM and
   a DirectX 9 class graphics card, and will not be capable of supporting
   the high end Vista graphics, including the Aero user interface. A Vista
   Premium Ready PC will take advantage of Vista's "high-end" features but
   will need at least a 1.0 GHz processor, 1 GB main memory, and an
   Aero-compatible graphics card with at least 128 MB graphics memory and
   supporting the new Windows Display Driver Model. The company also
   offers a Release Candidate of Windows Vista Upgrade Advisor from its
   Web site to determine the ability of a PC to run Vista in its various
   guises. The utility runs on Windows XP and Windows Vista.

   Microsoft lists some Vista capable hardware on their web site. The
   "Vista Premium Ready" laptops they specify have Intel Core 2 Duo T5500
   or above CPUs and 1 GB memory.

   While Microsoft specifies 1 GB of main memory (RAM), Nigel Page of
   Microsoft has indicated that 2 GB is the ideal configuration for 64-bit
   Vista which processes data chunks that are double the size for those
   for 32-bit Vista, hence requiring double the memory.

   Windows Vista's "Basic" and "Classic" interfaces will work with
   virtually any graphics hardware that supports Windows XP or 2000;
   accordingly, most discussion around Vista's graphics requirements
   centers on those for the Windows Aero interface. As of Windows Vista
   Beta 2, the NVIDIA GeForce FX family and later, the ATI Radeon 9500 and
   later, Intel's GMA 950 integrated graphics, and a handful of VIA
   chipsets and S3 Graphics discrete chips are supported. Though some XGI
   Technology Volari chips were DirectX 9 (including the Volari V3XT which
   was available in PCI cards), with XGI's exit from the graphics card
   business it appears none of its chips are supported as of Vista Beta 2.

   Microsoft has not specifically stated whether an AGP or PCI Express
   (PCIe) video card is a requirement for Windows Aero, but they recommend
   PCIe video due to their greater bandwidth. There are some PCI cards
   available that are compatible with Windows Vista as well. After testing
   with release candidates, it has been proven that Windows Aero performs
   smoothly on DirectX 9 AGP video cards.

   CAPTION: Windows Vista system requirements

   Vista Capable Vista Premium Ready
   Processor 800 MHz 1 GHz
   Memory 512 MB RAM 1 GB RAM
   Graphics Card DirectX 9 capable DirectX 9 capable GPU with Hardware
   Pixel Shader v2.0 and WDDM Driver support
   Graphics Memory N/A 128 MB RAM supports up to 2,756,000 total pixels
   (e.g. 1920 × 1200) or 512 MB+ for greater resolutions such as 2560x1600
   HDD capacity 20 GB 40 GB
   HDD free space 15 GB 15 GB
   HDD type Normal Normal, but hybrid flash memory/hard disk drive
   recommended
   Other drives N/A DVD-ROM

Editions and pricing

   Windows Vista will ship in six editions. All editions will be available
   in both 32-bit ( x86) and 64-bit ( x64) architectures, except Windows
   Vista Starter which will only be available for 32-bit architectures.
   Microsoft maintains a detailed Product Guide that describes the various
   editions of Windows Vista, including detailed comparison charts of all
   features.

   On September 5, 2006, USD pricing was announced for the four editions
   they plan on making available through retail channels. New license and
   upgrade license SKUs of each edition will be made available.

   CAPTION: Windows Vista editions and pricing

   Edition Description Pricing (USD) Retail box
   Retail Upgrade
   Windows Vista
   Starter Much like Windows XP Starter Edition, this edition will be
   limited to emerging markets such as India, Russia, Mexico, Brazil,
   Thailand, and Indonesia, mainly to offer a legal alternative to using
   unauthorized copies. It will not be available in the United States,
   Canada, or Europe. It will have many significant limitations, such as
   only allowing a user to launch three applications with a user interface
   at once, not accepting incoming network connections, a physical memory
   limit of 256 MB, and will run only in 32-bit mode. Additionally, only
   Duron, Sempron and Geode processors from AMD, and Intel's Celeron and
   Pentium III processors are supported. No pricing announced No box shot
   available
   Windows Vista
   Home Basic Similar to Windows XP Home Edition, Home Basic is intended
   for budget users not requiring advanced media support for home use. The
   Windows Aero theme with translucent effects will not be included with
   this edition. Home Basic will support up to 8 GB of physical memory.
   $199.00 $99.95
   Windows Vista
   Home Premium Containing all features from Home Basic, this edition will
   also support more advanced features aimed for the home market segment,
   such as HDTV support and DVD authoring. Extra premium games, mobile and
   tablet PC, network projector, touchscreen, and auxiliary display (via
   Windows SideShow) support, and a utility to schedule backups are also
   included. Home Premium also supports up to 2 physical processors, and
   10 simultaneous peer network connections (compared to 5 in Home Basic).
   The version of Meeting Space included will also allow for interaction
   (in Home Basic, you may only view meetings), but Remote Desktop
   sessions may only be received, not controlled, in this edition. This
   edition is comparable to Windows XP Media Centre Edition and Tablet PC
   Edition. Home Premium will support up to 16 GB of physical memory.
   $239.00 $159.00
   Windows Vista
   Business Comparable to Windows XP Professional, and aimed at the
   business market. Includes all the features of Home Premium with the
   exception of Windows Media Centre, Parental Controls, and Windows DVD
   and Movie Maker. Includes the IIS web server, fax support, file system
   encryption, system image backup and recovery, offline file support, a
   full version of Remote Desktop, ad-hoc P2P collaboration capabilities,
   Previous Versions (Windows ShadowCopy), and several other business
   features not in Home Premium. Business supports 128 GB of memory.
   $299.00 $199.95
   Windows Vista
   Enterprise This edition is aimed at the enterprise segment of the
   market, and is a superset of the Business edition. Additional features
   include multilingual user interface support, BitLocker Drive
   Encryption, and UNIX application support. This edition will not be
   available through retail or OEM channels, but through Microsoft
   Software Assurance. Part of Software Assurance enterprise licensing N/A
   Windows Vista
   Ultimate This edition combines all the features of the Home Premium and
   Enterprise editions, a game performance tweaker ( WinSAT), and
   "Ultimate Extras". Microsoft has so far had little to say regarding
   Ultimate Extras, but they are expected to include special online
   services for downloadable media, as well as additional customer service
   options. The Ultimate edition is aimed at high-end PC users, gamers,
   multimedia professionals, and PC enthusiasts. $399.00 $259.00

   Notes:
    1. "Home Basic N" and "Business N" editions of Windows Vista will
       additionally be available in the European Union. These editions
       will ship without Windows Media Player, according to the EU
       sanctions brought against Microsoft for violating anti-trust laws.
    2. An "Express Upgrade" program is available for providing free or
       low-cost upgrades for people who purchase computers with Windows XP
       between October 26, 2006 and March 15, 2007. The precise costs vary
       between OEM manufacturers; Dell, for example, will offer free
       upgrades from Windows XP Professional to Windows Vista Business,
       while upgrades from Windows XP Home to Windows Vista Home Basic
       will cost $45 USD.
    3. Around the end of August, a number of web sites were reporting that
       "additional license" SKUs will be available as well with a 10%
       discount off the retail price; this was based on pricing
       information that appeared on Amazon.com; the pricing information
       for these additional license SKUs was removed shortly afterwards.
       Microsoft has not commented publicly on the availability or pricing
       of additional licenses for Windows Vista.
    4. All editions of Windows Vista will ship on the same DVD. It is the
       license key purchased that determines which version will be
       installed. After the product key is entered, the user will choose
       whether to install the 32-bit or 64-bit version of that edition
       (except for Starter edition). The features of the Home Premium and
       Ultimate editions may be "unlocked" at any time by purchasing a
       one-time upgrade license through a Control Panel tool called
       Windows Anytime Upgrade. The Business edition will also be
       upgradable to Ultimate. Such licenses will be sold by Microsoft's
       partners and OEMs, but not directly by Microsoft.

Packaging

   All retail editions of Windows Vista will come packaged in a clear,
   hard-plastic case, "designed to be user-friendly, the new packaging is
   a small, hard, plastic container that [will] protect the software
   inside for life-long use". The case will open sideways to reveal the
   Windows Vista DVD suspended in a clear plastic case. The Windows Vista
   disc itself uses a holographic design similar to the discs that
   Microsoft has produced since Windows 2000.

Criticism

   Criticisms of Windows Vista include protracted development time, more
   restrictive licensing terms, the inclusion of a number of technologies
   aimed at restricting the copying of protected digital media, and the
   usability of the new User Account Control security technology.
   Reviewers have also noted similarities between Vista's Aero interface
   and that of Apple's Mac OS X operating system, particularly around the
   use of and transition effects. Moreover, some concerns have been raised
   about many PCs meeting "Vista Premium Ready" hardware requirements and
   Vista's pricing.

   Licensing: The introduction of license restrictions on retail buyers
   legally transferring their copy of Vista was criticized heavily and has
   since changed. Before, the licensing terms for Vista only allowed
   buyers of retail copies of Vista to transfer their software to a new
   machine one time. If a user wanted to move their software a second
   time, he or she would have to contact Microsoft via phone, proving they
   hold a valid license, to get a code to allow the move. Since then,
   Microsoft has responded to the complaints and has modified the EULA to
   read: "You may uninstall the software and install it on another device
   for your use. You may not do so to share this license between devices."
   As with Windows XP, separate rules will apply for OEM versions of Vista
   installed on new PCs; these are not legally transferrable. The cost of
   Windows Vista has also been criticised by some as too high. A majority
   of users in a poll said that the prices of various Windows Vista
   editions posted on the Microsoft Canada website in August 2006 make the
   product too expensive.

   Digital Rights Management: Another common criticism concerns the
   integration of new forms of Digital Rights Management into the
   operating system, specifically High-Bandwidth Digital Content
   Protection (HDCP) and the Image Constraint Token (ICT), which reduces
   the quality of high-definition video content if the video card and
   monitor are not HDCP-enabled. The criticism against HDCP may be
   misplaced, however, as it is still unclear as to whether all high
   definition media will be subject to HDCP protection.

   User Account Control: Concerns have been raised about the new User
   Account Control security technology. While Yankee Group analyst Andrew
   Jaquith believes that critical security vulnerabilities may be "reduced
   by as much as 80 percent", he also noted that "while the new security
   system shows promise, it is far too chatty and annoying".

   Kernel Patch Protection: The Kernel Patch Protection feature (also
   known as "Patchguard") on 64-bit versions of Vista that locks down the
   OS kernel has been criticised by computer security company McAfee who
   claim that since PatchGuard also prevents third-party security
   companies from getting inside the OS, they cannot activate crucial
   security measures in their software to protect the OS from intruders.
   Microsoft's argument is that this will keep miscreants out of the OS
   and prevent the incidence of attacks, and it is something for which
   customers have been asking. Firewall maker Agnitum and others have
   argued that the Patchguard can be circumvented by hackers and that some
   security software makers must use similar methods. McAfee has also
   stated that Vista will be even less secure than previous versions of
   Windows. However, security vendor Kaspersky Lab claims that it is not
   more difficult in Vista for anti-virus software to work, and that it
   would not make sense for Microsoft to stop working with security
   companies because it would make their system more vulnerable to
   attacks. Sophos adds that Microsoft does not need to open PatchGuard
   for third party developers, instead, they should use the APIs Microsoft
   supplies them.

   Similarity with Mac OS X: Another criticism is a claim by some that
   Windows Vista emulates specific features in Apple Computer's Mac OS X.
   Scott Spanbauer of PCWorld notes a "striking similarity" between
   Vista's Aero visual effects, icon design, buttons and those of Mac OS
   X's Aqua. Vista has also incorporated features which OS X has had for
   some time such as fast searching and Smart Folders functionality. This
   has led some to the conclusion that Aero is an imitation of Aqua. Apple
   highlighted similarities during the keynote presentation at the
   Worldwide Developers Conference in August 2006, with Bertrand Serlet
   showing screenshots of Vista and OS X side-by-side. However, several of
   the features Microsoft has been accused of copying appeared in early
   testing versions of Longhorn, such as the desktop search capabilites.

   Hardware Requirements: Some controversy and concerns have arisen over
   how the increase in hardware specifications required to take advantage
   of many of Vista's new features may impact both personal and business
   users. While most PCs purchased after 2002 will be able to meet Vista’s
   minimum “Windows Vista Capable” requirements, many laptops and low-end
   to midrange desktops with integrated graphics will not be able to meet
   “Windows Vista Premium Ready” requirements and will therefore not be
   able to run advanced features such as the Aero Glass interface.

   Anti-Competition: The European Union Competition Commission has raised
   concerns about Vista's compliance with EU anti-trust rules intended to
   allow competition between security providers on the merits of their
   products. Commission spokesman Jonathan Todd stated, "If business and
   home users are deprived of choice, a security 'monoculture' based on
   Microsoft products may lead to less innovation and could harm all
   computer users. Security risks could increase, and not decrease."
   Responding to EU concerns, Jack Evans, a Microsoft spokesman, stated,
   "We still have not received the guidance we're seeking. In July, we
   received a formal list of questions, but no answers about what specific
   concerns the Commission has, or how we should address them. We need
   answers, not questions." Evans went on to state "The bottom line is
   that we want to launch Vista in a fully lawful manner, and we want to
   avoid regulatory decisions that could increase security risks for
   European consumers." While there were some concerns from analysts and
   reporters that this issue would result in Vista being delayed further,
   Microsoft stated that this will not be the case.

   Retrieved from " http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Windows_Vista"
   This reference article is mainly selected from the English Wikipedia
   with only minor checks and changes (see www.wikipedia.org for details
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