Windows Vista

It has been confirmed that Microsoft's next generation operating system "Windows Vista" will be available in stores from January 2007. Microsoft has been working hard past few years for this release and I believe this version of Windows is worth buying.

Windows Vista Editions
Unlike Windows XP, Vista comes in 6 different versions and each of them is different in its features and price. Obviously you will be at confusion while choosing from the different versions.

1]
Windows Vista Starter Edition
This version is the stripped down version of the basic home edition. This means it has the lowest feature set and security. It is more like a demo for all other editions of Vista. This version is only available in emerging regions like India, Russia, Mexico, Indonesia & Thailand.

2]
Windows Vista Home Basic Edition
This is more like Windows XP Home Edition. Just the enough features for casual Internet browsing and entertainment. This edition does not have the important features like Aero UI & Windows media technologies.

3]
Windoes Vista Home Premium Edition
This is more similar to Windows XP media centre edition. It has all the important features required for normal Home entertainment PC. This edition comes with Aero UI, Scheduled back up feature & premium games. Thus if you are addicted to XP media center edition, this is the vista equivalent for you.

4]
Vista Business Edition
Business Edition of Windows Vista is equivalent to XP Professional Edition. It has all the features of Home Premium Edition except parental control and has some additional feature for faxing & scanning. This also has shadow copy - system back up & recovery service to keep your data safe. If you are a XP Pro fan like me, this is the right version to look forward.

5]
Vista Enterprise Edition
From the name itself, it should be clear that it is for big enterprises where data protection is important. The major difference between Vista Business and Enterprise is the added data encryption & security features. You only need to buy this version if you are running a business and need more security for your data.

6]
Vista Ultimate Edition
If you have all the designed features of Windows vista in one package, you call it Windows Vista Ultimate. It has all the features of Home Premium and Business Enterprise Editions. Unfortunately, I'm yet to learn the prospects of this edition.

Thus if you are an avid gamer, movie enthusiast or an audiophile, Home Premium is the best choice. If you just need a PC for emailing and document processing, Vista Home Basic is your edition. For small businesses, I would recommend Vista Business Edition.

Windows Vista System Requirements
Home Basic Windows Vista

* 1 GHz 32-bit (x86) or 64-bit (x64) processor
* 512 MB of system memory
* 20 GB hard drive with at least 15 GB of available space
* Support for DirectX 9 graphics and 32 MB of graphics memory
* DVD-ROM drive
* Audio Output
* Internet access (fees may apply)

Additional Requirements

Actual requirements and product functionality may vary based on your system configuration. Windows Vista Upgrade Advisor can help you determine which features and edition of Windows Vista will run on your computer.

While all editions of Windows Vista can support multiple core CPUs, only Windows Vista Business, Ultimate, and Enterprise can support dual processors.

Home Premium / Business / Ultimate Windows Vista

* 1 GHz 32-bit (x86) or 64-bit (x64) processor
* 1 GB of system memory
* 40 GB hard drive with at least 15 GB of available space
* Support for DirectX 9 graphics with:
o WDDM Driver
o 128 MB of graphics memory (minimum)
o Pixel Shader 2.0 in hardware
o 32 bits per pixel
* DVD-ROM drive
* Audio Output
* Internet access (fees may apply)

Additional Requirements

Actual requirements and product functionality may vary based on your system configuration. Windows Vista Upgrade Advisor can help you determine which features and edition of Windows Vista will run on your computer.

While all editions of Windows Vista can support multiple core CPUs, only Windows Vista Business, Ultimate, and Enterprise can support dual processors.
Home Premium / Ultimate