After a few release date postponement, Microsoft has released their newest operating system: Windows Vista. It has been five years since Microsoft has released an operating system, the last release being Windows XP. However, development on Vista was started before XP was released. The biggest criticism that XP received was regarding the security measures Microsoft had put in place. The main goal with the newest operating system was to answer the criticism and make users and the information more secure. Although security was the priority, the developers tried to make Vista easier to use with 200 upgraded and new features.
Part of the goal of making Vista an easier operating system includes being able to purchase Vista to use right from purchase on Microsoft.com and then Vista can be downloaded right to your machine. Windows Vista has an updated interface that is more user friendly than previous versions of Windows. The new interface makes finding documents and programs simple, but some feel it is too similar to Macintosh’s OS X. Furthermore, Microsoft has improved searching capabilities with Instant Search, which is faster and offers more in-depth searches. For those users transferring data between a computer and devices such as mp3 players, Vista offers peer-to-peer technology to increase and streamline the communication between devices. Vista also performs daily backups of information automatically through Shadow Copy. Microsoft has made it easier for parents to protect their children from mature content with upgraded parental control.
While Vista trying to be more user-friendly, that was not Microsoft’s primary concern; security took the forefront in the development of the operating system. The new security package is based around privilege control, enabling users to utilize their machines with fewer defaulted privileges. Internet security includes: philshing filter, anti-spoofing, anti-spyware and parental controls. Internet Explorer in Vista is set to run in a “protected mode” which prohibits Explorer from accessing or changing any other applications. Windows Defender, the anti-spyware product, automatically protects computers from various online threats and requires users to approve changes being made to systems configurations. Vista is also protecting users’ data with BitLocker Drive Encryption – standard in the Enterprise and Ultimate editions – which encrypts Vista. While Microsoft has put a number of security measures in place, consumers still fear it might not be enough.
The release of Windows Vista is available for use in the home or office and comes in a number of languages, letting you use the version that will work best for you. For the home user there are three existing versions: Home Basic, Home Premium and Ultimate. The three versions offer different levels of features depending on your budget and needed access. Vista for the office comes in: Business and Enterprise.
