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 centers.
Microsoft’s primary stated objective with Windows Vista, however, has been to improve the state of security in the Windows operating system. One common criticism of Windows XP and its predecessors has been their commonly exploited security vulnerabilities and overall susceptibility to Spyware Removal, 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.
Windows Vista system requirements
|
|
Vista Capable[ |
Vista Premium Ready[ |
|
Processor |
800 MHz |
1.0 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 1.0 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 |
|
Other drives |
CD-ROM |
DVD-ROM |
Microsoft Windows Vista contains hundreds of new and reworked features; some of the most significant 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 in an effort to simplify sharing files and digital media between computers and devices. Windows Vista includes version 3.0 of the .NET Framework, which aims to make it significantly easier for developers to write applications than with the traditional Windows API.
Windows Vista ships in six editions. These editions are roughly divided into two target markets, consumer and business, with editions varying to cater for specific sub-markets. For consumers, there are four editions, with three available for developed countries. Windows Vista Starter edition is limited to emerging markets. Windows Vista Home Basic is intended for budget users with low needs. Windows Vista Home Premium covers the majority of the consumer market. Windows Vista Ultimate contains the complete feature-set and is aimed at enthusiasts. For businesses, there are two versions. Windows Vista Business is specifically designed for small business, while Windows Vista Enterprise, the premium business edition is only available to customers participating in Microsoft’s Software Assurance program.
All editions except Windows Vista Starter support both 32-bit (x86) and 64-bit (x64) processor architectures.
In the European Union, Home Basic N and Business N versions are also available. These versions come without Windows Media Player, due to EU sanctions brought against Microsoft for violating anti-trust laws. Similar sanctions exist in South Korea.
Windows Vista Service Pack 1 (SP1) is currently in development and is planned for release alongside Windows Server 2008 in the first quarter of 2008.
In the coming posts we are going to take on the issues and hacks more concerned with Windows XP and Vista so keep your self counting on the post.
