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Microsoft is adopting features already in Apple's computers.
 technofile
Al Fasoldt's reviews and commentaries, continuously available online since 1983

T e c h n o f i l e
Vista, schmista! Here's the real scoop on what's up with Windows


May 14, 2006


By Al Fasoldt
Copyright © 2006, Al Fasoldt
Copyright © 2006, The Post-Standard

   What's up with Windows?
   You might have heard that Microsoft is working on a new version, called Windows Vista. Vista has been a long time coming and won't be ready for many months. But when it's finally ready for the public -- next spring or summer, probably -- it should be good news to buyers of new PCs. Microsoft is building in a lot of features that add safety and security to Vista, and it's adopting some cool tricks from Apple's futuristic Mac operating system, called OS X.
   That should make the horse race between Windows and OS X a little more even. Apple needs some competition.
   That's the good news. The bad news is nowhere near as good for current PC owners.
   Windows Vista needs a great deal more memory, disk space and computing power than many current PCs can provide. You don't have to be alarmed if you have a really modern PC, but if your PC is more than two years old, you might not like what you're about to hear.
   Vista needs 1 gigabyte of memory to run smoothly. More would be a good idea. (Microsoft says 512 megabytes is enough for basic work, but I don't believe it.) It also needs fast processor (1 gigahertz would be on the slow side) and a very modern graphics card. If you have to buy a new card, make sure the manufacturer says that it's certified to work with Windows Vista. (Vista uses a new technology for the display. Older graphics cards, including AGP models, will slow everything down.)
   If you don't already have a humongous disk drive in your current PC, you'll face a squeeze from Vista. Older PCs (ones more than three to five years old) might not be able to work with the kind of huge-capacity drive Vista will need, so you can't assume that you can simply open the case and slide in a big, new drive and tighten some screws. If your current hard drive has a capacity of 80 GB or more, you're probably OK. (But you probably ought to add more storage before considering Vista. USB 2 external drives don't cost much.)
   Vista started out as "Longhorn" in 2001. It's three or four years late, for no good reason. (There are a lot of bad reasons, including inept management at Microsoft.) But it's likely to be worth the long wait if you are a Windows fan.
   But if you're considering a switch to an Apple computer, you might find the latest Macintosh models more attractive than a new Windows PC. Apple's new Macs are able to turn themselves into Windows PCs simply by rebooting. I explain how this is done (and what it means for both Mac and Windows users) in this column: www.technofileonline.com/texts/tec041606.html.