So, what's the big deal, you ask? You're perfectly happy with your Windows XP (or dare we say it, Windows 98)?
Well, at the risk of this column reading like an 'advertorial' review of the product, after spending considerable time with Vista I can vouch it's well worth the upgrade for Windows users: it's more reliable and stable than past versions of the OS; it offers many new and intuitive ways to view, organize and search your stuff; and something I really like: it makes it easy to enjoy all your media, be it music, photos, TV shows, movies or camcorder footage.
Let's take a look at some of the highlights:
Secure, speedy and safe
One of the top priorities for Windows Vista, says Microsoft, is making sure the OS runs faster, smoother and less prone to attacks from malicious types in cyberspace. Along with its built-in Windows Firewall, anti-spyware tool and anti-virus reminders and recommendations, a new 'protected mode' in the Internet Explorer 7 browser further helps protect surfers from programs that attempt to modify system files or settings.
You can also backup your important files (such as irreplaceable photos) with ease, thanks to an automated scheduling option within the File Backup and Restore feature. Getting a new PC? Windows Easy Transfer makes it a cinch to set up a new computer by transferring important information from an older one.
While kids won't like this feature, new Parental Controls let mom or dad keep their children safe by blocking inappropriate online content and Mature-rated computer games.
Windows Vista also offers super-quick start-up times, so you can begin to use your PC immediately after turning it on.
Organizing, Searching and Multitasking
The moment Windows Vista is up and running, you'll immediately notice a few 'Gadgets' on the right-hand side (perfect for widescreen monitors!). Called the Windows Sidebar, you can easily customize what you'd like to see (or use) at a glance, be it a clock, calculator, photo slideshow, news headlines or Sticky Notes. After a few days, you'll wonder how you lived without it. Surfing the Web is also easier thanks to 'tabbed' browsing, which means you can have multiple pages open at the same time and simply click the tab to bring it full-screen.
One of my beefs with Windows XP was slow and inaccurate searching when trying to find anything, such as a Word document, photo or music file. With Vista, however, a search box is seen on top of virtually all programs, and quickly scans your hard drive to find what you're after. You can also take advantage of the 'tagging' feature, which means adding keywords to a file to easily find it in the future. For example, finding a photo from a recent family trip to Hawaii might be hard (after all, your camera calls the file something like DSC000543.jpg) -- but you can add tags to this photo such as 'Hawaii,' 'kids,' 'Ethan,' '2006,' 'vacation, 'Maui,' and 'lei.' Type in any of those words and that photo will pop up.
Entertainment enhancements
Finally, Vista is designed to be the hub for all your entertainment needs. The bundled Windows Media Player 11 offers easier and faster ripping (copying CD audio or DVD video to the hard drive), burning (writing to a recordable CD or DVD), searching and playing music. Connect a supported portable media player to the PC and you can also have seamless synching between the two, so you'll never be without your favourite tunes.
When it comes to your precious photos and home movies, Vista lets you easily edit, add special effects and share your memories whether it's slideshows for a television, posting to your blog site, burning a DVD or ordering high-quality photos through a number of online services.
Depending on the version of Windows Vista, Windows Media Center is included, which lets you watch and record live television, burn discs to watch the content elsewhere and even log in from halfway around the world to record your favourite shows.
Finally, Vista is for gamers, with products designed for the OS's speed and power, its smart networking features for head-to-head games and online content such as free downloads, forums and magazines.
To read more about Windows Vista, including which version is for you and the minimum system requirements necessary to run it, visit www.microsoft.com/canada/windowsvista.
Depending on your needs, Windows Vista comes in four flavours: Windows Vista Home Basic ($129 for upgrade, $259 for full version); Windows Vista Home Premium ($199 for upgrade, $299 for full version); Windows Vista Business ($249 for upgrade, $379 for full version) and Windows Vista Ultimate ($299 for upgrade, $499 for full version). The differences between them are outlined at www.microsoft.com/canada/windowsvista.