Windows Vista

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

• Development of Windows Vista
• Features new to Windows Vista
• Management features new to Windows Vista
• Security and safety features new to Windows Vista
• Technical features new to Windows Vista
• Features removed from Windows Vista
• Windows Vista editions and pricing
• Criticism of Windows Vista

Windows Vista is a line of graphical operating systems used on personal computers, including home and business desktops, notebook computers, Tablet PCs, and media centers. Prior to its announcement on July 22, 2005, Windows Vista was known by its codename "Longhorn".^[1] Development was completed on November 8, 2006;over the following three months it was released in stages to computerhardware and software manufacturers, business customers, and retailchannels. On January 30, 2007, it was released worldwide to the general public,^[2] and was made available for purchase and downloading from Microsoft‘s web site.^[3] The release of Windows Vista comes more than five years after the introduction of its predecessor, Windows XP, making it the longest time span between two releases of Microsoft Windows.

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 displaysub-systems. Vista also aims to increase the level of communicationbetween machines on a home network using peer-to-peertechnology, making it easier to share files and digital media betweencomputers and devices. For developers, Vista includes version 3.0 ofthe .NET Framework, which aims to make it significantly easier for developers to write high-quality applications than with the traditional Windows API.

Microsoft‘s primary stated objective with Windows Vista, however,has been to improve the state of security in the Windows operatingsystem.^[4] One common criticism of Windows XP and its predecessors has been their commonly exploited security vulnerabilities and overall susceptibility to malware, viruses and buffer overflows. In light of this, Microsoft chairman Bill Gates announced in early 2002 a company-wide ‘Trustworthy Computinginitiative‘ which aims to incorporate security work into every aspectof software development at the company. Microsoft stated that itprioritized improving the security of Windows XP and Windows Server 2003 above finishing Windows Vista, thus delaying its completion.^[5]

Windows Vista has been the target of a number of negative assessments by various groups. Criticism of Windows Vista has included protracted development time, more restrictive licensing terms, the inclusion of a number of new Digital Rights Management technologies aimed at restricting the copying of protected digital media, and the usability of other new features such as User Account Control.

Contents

• 1 Development
• 2 New or improved features
  • 2.1 End-user features
  • 2.2 Core technologies
  • 2.3 Security-related technologies
  • 2.4 Business technologies
  • 2.5 Developer technologies
• 3 Deprecated features
• 4 Editions and pricing
• 5 Visual styles
• 6 Hardware requirements
• 7 Service Pack 1
• 8 Criticism
• 9 See also
• 10 Notes and references
• 11 External links
  • 11.1 Microsoft
  • 11.2 Reviews and screenshots
  • 11.3 Criticism
  • 11.4 Security vulnerabilities

Development

Main article: Development of Windows Vista

Microsoft started work on their plans for Windows Vista ("Longhorn") in 2001,^[6]prior to the release of Windows XP. It was originally expected to shipsometime late in 2003 as a minor step between Windows XP (codenamed"Whistler") and "Blackcomb" (now known as Windows 7).Gradually, "Longhorn" assimilated many of the important new featuresand technologies slated for "Blackcomb", resulting in the release datebeing pushed back several times. Many of Microsoft‘s developers werealso re-tasked with improving the security of Windows XP.^[5] Faced with ongoing delays and concerns about feature creep, Microsoft announced on August 27, 2004 that it was making changes. The original "Longhorn", based on the Windows XPsource code, was scrapped, and Vista development started anew, buildingon the Windows Server 2003 codebase, and re-incorporating only thefeatures that would be intended for an actual operating system release.Some previously announced features such as WinFSwere dropped or postponed, and a new software development methodologycalled the "Security Development Lifecycle" was incorporated in aneffort to address concerns with the security of the Windows codebase.^[7]

After "Longhorn" was named Windows Vista, an unprecedented beta-testprogram was started, involving hundreds of thousands of volunteers andcompanies. In September 2005, Microsoft started releasing regular Community Technology Previews (CTP) to beta testers. The first of these was distributed at the 2005 Microsoft Professional Developers Conference, and was subsequently released to beta testers and Microsoft Developer Networksubscribers. The builds that followed incorporated most of the plannedfeatures for the final product, as well as a number of changes to theuser interface, based largely on feedback from beta testers. WindowsVista was deemed feature-complete with the release of the "FebruaryCTP", released on February 22, 2006,and much of the remainder of work between that build and the finalrelease of the product focused on stability, performance, applicationand driver compatibility, and documentation. Beta 2, released in lateMay, was the first build to be made available to the general publicthrough Microsoft‘s Customer Preview Program. It was downloaded by overfive million people. Two release candidates followed in September andOctober, both of which were made available to a large number of users.

While Microsoft had originally hoped to have the operating systemavailable worldwide in time for Christmas 2006, it was announced inMarch 2006 that the release date would be pushed back to January 2007,in order to give the company – and the hardware and software companieswhich Microsoft depends on for providing device drivers– additional time to prepare. Through much of 2006, analysts andbloggers had speculated that Windows Vista would be delayed further,owing to anti-trust concerns raised by the European Commission andSouth Korea, and due to a perceived lack of progress with the betareleases. However, with the November 8, 2006 announcement of the completion of Windows Vista, Microsoft‘s lengthiest operating system development project came to an end.

New or improved features

Main article: Features new to Windows Vista

End-user features

• Windows Aero: The new hardware-based graphical user interface, named Windows Aero  – an acronym for Authentic, Energetic, Reflective, and Open. The new interface is intended to be cleaner and more aesthetically pleasing than those of previous Windows, including new transparencies, live thumbnails, live icons, animations, and eye candy.
• Windows Shell: The new Windows shell is significantly different from Windows XP, offering a new range of organization, navigation, and search capabilities. Windows Explorer‘s task panel has been removed, integrating the relevant task options into the toolbar. A "Favorite links" panel has been added, enabling one-click access to common directories. The address bar has been replaced with a breadcrumb navigation system. The preview panel allows users to see thumbnails of various files and view the contents of documents. The details panel shows information such as file size and type, and allows viewing and editing of embedded tags in supported file formats. The Start menu has changed as well; it no longer uses ever-expanding boxes when navigating through Programs. The word "Start" itself has been removed in favor of a blue Windows Orb (also called "Pearl").
• Instant Search (also known as search as you type): Windows Vista features a new way of searching called Instant Search, which is significantly faster and in-depth(content-based) than that of the search features found in any of the previous versions of Windows.^[8]
• Windows Sidebar: A transparent panel anchored to the side of the screen where a user can place Desktop Gadgets, which are small applets designed for a specialized purpose (such as displaying the weather or sports scores). Gadgets can also be placed on other parts of the desktop.
• Windows Internet Explorer 7: New user interface, tabbed browsing, RSS, a search box, improved printing,^[9] Page Zoom, Quick Tabs (thumbnails of all open tabs), Anti-Phishing filter, a number of new security protection features, Internationalized Domain Name support (IDN), and improved web standards support. IE7 in Windows Vista runs in isolation from other applications in the operating system (protected mode); exploits and malicious software are restricted from writing to any location beyond Temporary Internet Files without explicit user consent.

• Windows Media Player 11, a major revamp of Microsoft‘s program for playing and organizing music and video. New features in this version include word wheeling (or "search as you type"), a new GUI for the media library, photo display and organization, the ability to share music libraries over a network with other Vista machines, Xbox 360 integration, and support for other Media Center Extenders.
• Backup and Restore Center: Includes a backup and restore application that gives users the ability to schedule periodic backups of files on their computer, as well as recovery from previous backups. Backups are incremental, storing only the changes each time, minimizing the disk usage. It also features Complete PC Backup (available only in Ultimate, Business, and Enterprise versions) which backs up an entire computer as an image onto a hard disk or DVD. Complete PC Backup can automatically recreate a machine setup onto new hardware or hard disk in case of any hardware failures. Complete PC Restore can be initiated from within Windows Vista, or from the Windows Vista installation CD in the event the PC is so corrupt that it cannot start up normally from the hard disk.
• Windows Mail: A replacement for Outlook Express that includes a new mail store that improves stability,^[10] and features integrated Instant Search. It has the Phishing Filter like IE7 and a Junk mail filtering which is enhanced through regular updates via Windows Update.^[11]
• Windows Calendar is a new calendar and task application.
• Windows Photo Gallery, a photo and movie library management application. WPG can import from digital cameras, tag and rate individual items, adjust colors and exposure, create and display slideshows (with pan and fade effects), and burn slideshows to DVD.
• Windows DVD Maker, a companion program to Windows Movie Maker, which provides the ability to create video DVDs based on a user‘s content. Users can design a DVD with title, menu, video, soundtrack, pan and zoom motion effects on pictures or slides.
• Windows Media Center, which was previously exclusively bundled as a separate version of Windows XP, known as Windows XP Media Center Edition, has been incorporated into the Home Premium and Ultimate editions of Windows Vista.
• Games and Games Explorer: Games included with Windows have been modified to showcase Vista‘s graphics capabilities. New games are Chess Titans, Mahjong Titans and Purble Place. A new Games Explorer special folder holds shortcuts and information to all games on the user‘s computer.

• Windows Mobility Center is a control panel that centralizes the most relevant information related to mobile computing (brightness, sound, battery level / power scheme selection, wireless network, screen orientation, presentation settings, etc.).
• Windows Meeting Space replaces NetMeeting. Users can share applications (or their entire desktop) with other users on the local network, or over the Internet using peer-to-peer technology (higher versions than Starter and Home Basic can take advantage of hosting capabilities, limiting previous to "join" mode only)
• Shadow Copy automatically creates daily backup copies of files and folders. Users can also create "shadow copies" by setting a System Protection Point using the System Protection tab in the System control panel. The user can be presented multiple versions of a file throughout a limited history and be allowed to restore, delete, or copy those versions. This feature is available only in the Business, Enterprise, and Ultimate editions of Windows Vista and is inherited from Windows Server 2003.^[12]

• Windows Update: Software and security updates have been simplified,^[13] now operating solely via a control panel instead of as a web application. Windows Mail‘s spam filter and Windows Defender‘s definitions are updated automatically via Windows Update. Users that choose the recommended setting for Automatic Updates will have the latest drivers installed and available when they add a new device.
• Parental controls: Allows administrators to control which websites, programs, and games each standard user can use and install. This feature is available in Home Premium and Ultimate versions of Vista.
• Windows SideShow: Enables the auxiliary displays on newer laptops or on supported Windows Mobile devices. It is meant to be used to display device gadgets while the computer is on or off.
• Speech recognition is integrated into Vista.^[14] It features a redesigned user interface and configurable command-and-control commands. Unlike the Office 2003 version, which works only in Office and WordPad, Speech Recognition in Windows Vista works for any accessible application. In addition, it currently supports several languages: British and American English, Spanish, French, German, Chinese (Traditional and Simplified), and Japanese.
• New fonts, including several designed for screen reading, and improved Chinese (Yahei, JhengHei), Japanese (Meiryo) and Korean (Malgun) fonts. See Windows Vista typefaces. ClearType has also been enhanced and enabled by default.
• Problem Reports and Solutions, a control panel which allows users to view previously sent problems and any solutions or additional information that is available.
• Improved audio controls allow the system-wide volume or volume of individual audio devices and even individual applications to be controlled separately. New audio functionalities such as Room Correction, Bass Management, Speaker Fill and Headphone virtualization have also been incorporated.
• Windows System Assessment Tool is a tool used to benchmark system performance. Software such as games can retrieve this rating and modify its own behavior at runtime to improve performance. The benchmark tests CPU, RAM, 2-D and 3-D graphics acceleration, Graphics Memory and Hard disk space.^[15][16]
• Windows Ultimate Extras: The Ultimate Edition of Windows Vista provides access to extra games and tools, available through Windows Update. This replaces the Microsoft Plus! software bundle that was sold alongside prior versions of Windows.
• Disk Management: A utility to modify hard disk drive partitions, including shrinking, creating and formatting new partitions.
• Performance Diagnostic Console includes various tools for tuning and monitoring system performance and resources activities of CPU, disks, network, memory and other resources. It shows the operations on files, the opened connections, etc.

Core technologies

Main article: Technical features new to Windows Vista

Windows Vista is intended to be a technology-based release, toprovide a solid base to include technologies, many of which will berelated to how the system functions, and hence not readily visible tothe user. An example of this is the restructuring of the architectureof the audio, print, display, and networking subsystems; while theresults of this work will be visible to software developers, end-userswill only see what appear to be evolutionary changes in the userinterface.

Vista includes technologies such as ReadyBoost and ReadyDrive which employ fast flash memory (located on USB drives and hybrid hard disk drivesrespectively) to improve system performance by caching commonly-usedprograms and data. This manifests itself in improved battery life onnotebook computers as well, since a hybrid drive can use the Flashmemory to cache the data currently in use by the OS and/or otherapplications, spinning down the disc platters till some fresh data isrequired. Another new technology called SuperFetch utilizes machine learningtechniques to analyze usage patterns in order to allow Windows Vista tomake decisions about what application and content should be present insystem memory at any given time.

As part of the redesign of the networking architecture, IPv6 has been incorporated into the operating system, and a number of performance improvements have been introduced, such as TCP window scaling. Windows Vista includes more comprehensive support for wireless networking, compared with previous versions of Windows.

For graphics, Vista introduces a new Windows Display Driver Model (WDDM), as well as major revisions to Direct3D. The new driver model facilitates the new Desktop Window Manager, which provides the tearing-free desktop and special effects that are the cornerstones of Windows Aero.WDDM‘s current version 1.0 is able to offload rudimentary tasks to theGPU, install drivers without requiring a system reboot and seamlesslyrecover from rare driver errors due to illegal application behavior.The next version is going to require an entirely new generation ofGPUs, which NVIDIA and ATIare working on. Direct3D 10, developed in conjunction with majordisplay driver manufacturers, is a new architecture with more advanced shader support, and allows the graphics processing unitto render more complex scenes without assistance from the CPU. Itfeatures improved load balancing between CPU and GPU and also optimizesdata transfer between them.^[17]

At the core of the operating system, many improvements have beenmade to the memory manager, process scheduler, heap manager, and I/Oscheduler. A Kernel Transaction Manager has been implemented that gives applications the ability to work with the file system and registry using atomic transaction operations.

Security-related technologies

Main article: Security and safety features new to Windows Vista

Improved security was a primary design goal for Vista.^[4] Microsoft‘s Trustworthy Computinginitiative, which aims to improve public trust in its products, has hada direct effect on its development. This effort has resulted in anumber of new security and safety features.

User Account Controlis perhaps the most significant and visible of these changes. UserAccount Control is a security technology that makes it possible forusers to use their computer with fewer privileges by default. This wasoften difficult in previous versions of Windows, as the previous"limited" user accounts proved too restrictive and incompatible with alarge proportion of application software, and even prevented some basicoperations such as looking at the calendar from the notification tray.In Windows Vista, when an action requiring administrative rights isrequested, the user will be first prompted for an administrator nameand password; in cases where the user is already an administrator, theuser is still prompted to confirm the pending privileged action. UserAccount Control asks for credentials in a Secure Desktop mode, wherethe entire screen is blacked out, temporarily disabled, and only theauthorization window is active and highlighted. The intent is to stop amalicious program ‘spoofing‘ the user interface, attempting to captureadmin credentials.

Internet Explorer 7‘s new security and safety features include a phishing filter, IDN with anti-spoofing capabilities, and integration with system-wide parental controls. For added security, ActiveXcontrols are disabled by default. Also, Internet Explorer operates in a"protected mode" which operates with lower permissions than the userand it runs in isolation from other applications in the operatingsystem, preventing it from accessing or modifying anything besides theTemporary Internet Files directory.^[18] Microsoft‘s anti-spyware product, Windows Defender,has been incorporated into Windows, providing protection againstmalware and other threats. Changes to various system configurationsettings (such as new auto-starting applications) are blocked unlessthe user gives consent.

Another significant new feature is BitLocker Drive Encryption, a data protection technology included in the Enterprise and Ultimate editions of Vista that provides encryption for the entire operating system volume. Bitlocker can work in conjunction with a Trusted Platform Module chip (version 1.2) that is on a computer‘s motherboard, or with a USB key.^[19]

A variety of other privilege-restriction techniques are also builtinto Vista. An example is the concept of "integrity levels" in userprocesses, whereby a process with a lower integrity level cannotinteract with processes of a higher integrity level and cannot performDLL–injection to a processes of a higher integrity level. The securityrestrictions of Windows servicesare more fine-grained, so that services (especially those listening onthe network) have no ability to interact with parts of the operatingsystem they do not need to. Obfuscation techniques such as address space layout randomization are used to increase the amount of effort required of malwarebefore successful infiltration of a system. Code Integrity verifiesthat system binaries haven’t been tampered with by malicious code.

As part of the redesign of the network stack, Windows Firewallhas been upgraded, with new support for filtering both incoming andoutgoing traffic. Advanced packet filter rules can be created which cangrant or deny communications to specific services.

Business technologies

Main article: Management features new to Windows Vista

While much of the focus of Vista‘s new capabilities has been on thenew user interface, security technologies, and improvements to the coreoperating system, Microsoft is also adding new deployment andmaintenance features.

• The WIM image format (Windows IMage) is the cornerstone of Microsoft‘s new deployment and packaging system. WIM files, which contain an image of Windows Vista, can be maintained and patched without having to rebuild new images. Windows Images can be delivered via Systems Management Server or Business Desktop Deployment technologies. Images can be customized and configured with applications then deployed to corporate client personal computers using little to no touch by a system administrator. ImageX is the Microsoft tool used to create and customize images.
• Windows Deployment Services replaces Remote Installation Services for deploying Vista and prior versions of Windows.
• Approximately 700 new Group Policy settings have been added, covering most aspects of the new features in the operating system, as well as significantly expanding the configurability of wireless networks, removable storage devices, and user desktop experience. Vista also introduced an XML based format (ADMX) to display registry-based policy settings, making it easier to manage networks that span geographic locations and different languages. ^[20]
• Services for UNIX has been renamed "Subsystem for UNIX-based Applications," and is included with the Enterprise and Ultimate editions of Vista. Network File System (NFS) client support is also included.
• Multilingual User Interface - Unlike previous version of Windows which required language packs to be loaded to provide local language support, Windows Vista Ultimate and Enterprise editions support the ability to dynamically change languages based on the logged on user‘s preference.
• Wireless Projector support

Business customers who are enrolled in the Microsoft Software Assuranceprogram are offered a set of additional tools and services collectivelyknown as the "Desktop Optimization Pack". This includes the Microsoft SoftGridapplication virtualization platform, an asset inventory service, andadditional tools for maintaining Group Policy settings in a fashionsimilar to a revision control system.

Developer technologies

Windows Vista includes a large number of new application programming interfaces. Chief among them is the inclusion of version 3.0 of the .NET Framework, which consists of a class library and Common Language Runtime. Version 3.0 includes four new major components:^[21]

• Windows Presentation Foundation is a user interface subsystem and framework based vector graphics, which will make use of 3D computer graphics hardware and Direct3D technologies. It provides the foundation for building applications and blending together application UI, documents, and media content. It is the successor to Windows Forms.
• Windows Communication Foundation is a service-oriented messaging subsystem which will enable applications and systems to interoperate locally or remotely using Web services.
• Windows Workflow Foundation provides task automation and integrated transactions using workflows. It is the programming model, engine and tools for building workflow-enabled applications on Windows.
• Windows CardSpace is a component which securely stores digital identities of a person, and provides a unified interface for choosing the identity for a particular transaction, such as logging into a website.

These technologies will also be available for Windows XP and WindowsServer 2003 to facilitate their introduction to and usage by developersand end users.

There are also significant new development APIs in the core of theoperating system, notably the completely re-architected audio,networking, print, and video interfaces, major changes to the securityinfrastructure, improvements to the deployment and installation ofapplications ("ClickOnce" and Windows Installer 4.0), new device driver development model ("Windows Driver Foundation"), Transactional NTFS, mobile computing API advancements (power management, Tablet PC Ink support, SideShow) and major updates to (or complete replacements of) many core subsystems such as Winlogon and CAPI.

There are some issues for software developers using some of thegraphics APIs in Vista. Games or programs which are built solely onVista‘s version of DirectX, 10, will not work on prior versions of Windows, as DirectX 10 is not backwards-compatible at any level.^[22] According to a Microsoft blog, there are three choices for OpenGLimplementation on Vista. An application can use the defaultimplementation, which translates OpenGL calls into the Direct3D API andis frozen at OpenGL version 1.4, or an application can use anInstallable Client Driver (ICD), which comes in two flavors: legacy and Vista-compatible. A legacy ICD, the kind already provided by independent hardware vendors targeting Windows XP, will disable the Desktop Window Manager,noticeably degrading user experience under Windows Aero. AVista-compatible ICD takes advantage of a new API, and will be fullycompatible with the Desktop Window Manager.^[23] At least two primary vendors, ATI and NVIDIA, are expected to provide full Vista-compatible ICDs in the near future.^[24] However, hardware overlayis not supported, because it is considered as an obsolete feature inVista. ATI and NVIDIA strongly recommend using compositing desktop/FBOsfor same functionality.^[25]

Deprecated features

Main article: Features removed from Windows Vista

Some notable Windows XP features and components have been replaced or removed in Windows Vista, including Windows Messenger, the network Messenger Service, HyperTerminal, MSN Explorer, Active Desktop, and the replacement of NetMeeting with Windows Meeting Space.Windows Vista also does not include the Windows XP "Luna" visual theme,or most of the classic color schemes which have been part of Windowssince the Windows 3.x era. The "Hardware profiles" startup feature hasbeen removed as well, along with support for older motherboardtechnologies like the EISA bus, APM and Game port support. There is a way to enable Game port support on Vista by applying an older driver.^[26] IP over FireWire (TCP/IP over IEEE 1394) has been removed as well.^[27]

WinHlp32.exe, used to display 32-bit .hlp files (help pages), is nolonger included in Windows Vista as Microsoft considers it obsolete,^[28]though it is available as a separate download. Microsoft prohibitssoftware manufacturers from re-introducing the .hlp help system withtheir products.

Telnet.exe is no longer installed by default, but is still included as an installable feature.^[29]

Editions and pricing

Main article: Windows Vista editions and pricing

Windows Vista ships in six editions.^[30]These editions are roughly divided into two target markets, consumerand business, with editions varying to cater for specific sub-markets.For consumers, there are four editions, with three available forWestern countries; Windows Vista Starter 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 aimedat enthusiasts. For businesses, there are two versions. Windows VistaBusiness covers organizations of all sizes, while Windows VistaEnterprise 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 will also be available. Theseversions come without Windows Media Player, due to EU sanctions broughtagainst Microsoft for violating anti-trust laws. Similar sanctions exist in South Korea.

Visual styles

Windows Vista has four distinct visual styles.^[31]

Windows Aero

Windows Vista‘s premier visual style is built on a new desktop composition engine called Desktop Window Manager. Windows Aero introduces support for 3D graphics (Windows Flip 3D), translucencyeffects (Glass), live thumbnails, window animations, and other visualeffects, and is intended for mainstream and high-end graphics cards. Toenable these features, the contents of every open window is stored invideo memory to facilitate tearing-freemovement of windows. As such, Windows Aero has significantly higherhardware requirements than its predecessors. 128 MB of graphics memoryis the minimum requirement, depending on resolution used.^[32] Windows Aero (including Windows Flip 3D) is not included in the Starter and Home Basic editions.

Windows Vista Standard

This mode is a variation of Windows Aero without the glass effects,window animations, and other advanced graphical effects such as WindowsFlip 3D. Like Windows Aero, it uses the Desktop Window Manager, and hasgenerally the same video hardware requirements as Windows Aero. This isthe default mode for the Windows Vista Home Basic Edition. The StarterEdition does not support this mode.

Windows Vista Basic

This mode has aspects that are similar to Windows XP‘s visual stylewith the addition of subtle animations such as those found on progress bars.It does not employ the Desktop Window Manager; as such, it does notfeature transparency or translucency, window animation, Windows Flip 3Dor any of the functions provided by the DWM. The Basic mode does notrequire the new Windows Display Driver Model(WDDM) for display drivers, and has similar graphics card requirementsto Windows XP. For computers with graphics cards that are not powerfulenough to support Windows Aero, this is the default graphics mode.

Windows Classic

An option for corporate deployments and upgrades, Windows Classichas the look and feel of Windows 2000 and Windows Server 2003, does notuse the Desktop Window Manager, and does not require a WDDM driver. Aswith prior versions of Windows, this visual style supports "colorschemes," which are a collection of color settings. Windows Vistaincludes six classic color schemes, comprised of four high-contrastcolor schemes and the default color schemes from Windows 98 and Windows 2000.

Hardware requirements

Computers capable of running Windows Vista are classified as Vista Capable and Vista Premium Ready.^[33] A Vista Capableor equivalent PC will be capable of running all editions of WindowsVista although some of the special features and high end graphicsoptions may require additional or more advanced hardware. A Vista Premium Ready PC will take advantage of Vista‘s "high-end" features.^[34]

Windows Vista‘s "Basic" and "Classic" interfaces will work withvirtually any graphics hardware that supports Windows XP or 2000;accordingly, most discussion around Vista‘s graphics requirementscenters on those for the Windows Aero interface. As of Windows VistaBeta 2, the NVIDIA GeForce 6 series and later, the ATI Radeon 9500 and later, Intel‘s GMA 950integrated graphics, and a handful of VIA chipsets and S3 Graphicsdiscrete chips are supported. Although originally supported, theGeForce FX 5 series has been dropped from newer drivers from NVIDIA.The last driver from NVIDIA to support the GeForce FX series on Vistawas 96.85. [2] ^[35] Microsoft offers a tool called the Windows Vista Upgrade Advisor^[36]to assist XP and Vista users in determining what versions of Windowstheir machine is capable of running. Although the installation mediaincluded in retail packages is a 32-bit DVD, customers without aDVD-ROM or customers who wish for a 64-bit install media are able toacquire this media through the Windows Vista Alternate Media program.^[37]

Service Pack 1

Windows Vista Service Pack 1 (SP1) is currently in development. Microsoft is planning to release SP1 alongside Windows Server 2008 in the second half of 2007,^[39][40] with a beta later this year.^[41]

A detailed analysis of a leaked beta of Vista SP1 was undertaken byAPCmag.com, which examined the changes to the Vista code base andregistry entries. It listed out several hundred installation packagesincluded in the beta, which appear to target back-end features ratherthan front-end functionality. However the journalist observed thatthere was a significant performance increase when comparing SP1 to theoriginally released version of Vista.^[42]

Microsoft is known to be planning to include the following changes in SP1:

• Improvements to Group Policy management tools.^[43]
• Performance improvements with Windows Disk Defragmenter that are also slated for Server 2008.^[44]
• New security APIs for the benefit of antivirus software that currently relies on the unsupported practice of patching the kernel (see Kernel Patch Protection).^[45][46]
• A new version of Windows Installer, version 4.1.^[47]
• Users will be able to change the default desktop search program to one provided by a third party instead of the Microsoft desktop search program that comes with Windows Vista. Third-party desktop search programs will be able to seamlessly tie in their services into the operating system.^[40]
• Support for 802.11n.^[48]
• Terminal Services can connect to an existing session.^[48]
• IPv6 over VPN connections.^[48]

Reports from various sources have suggested that SP1 will include akernel that will be up-to-date with the version to be shipped withWindows Server 2008,^[49] and that an updated version of DirectX, 10.1, may be included as well.^[50] A newer version of Windows Media Centeris under development, but whether this will be included with theservice pack, or be released separately, has not been clarified byMicrosoft.

Criticism

Main article: Criticism of Windows Vista

Windows Vista has been the target of a number of negativeassessments by various groups. Criticisms of Windows Vista includeprotracted development time, more restrictive licensing terms, theinclusion of a number of technologies aimed at restricting the copyingof protected digital media,^[51] and the usability of the new User Account Control security technology. Reviewers have also noted similarities between Vista‘s Aero interface and that of Apple‘s Aqua interface for the Mac OS Xoperating system, particularly around the use of transition effects.Moreover, some concerns have been raised about many PCs meeting "VistaPremium Ready" hardware requirements and Vista‘s pricing.

Licensing and cost

The introduction of additional licensingrestrictions has been criticized. Criticism of upgrade licensespertaining to Windows Vista Starter through Home Premium was expressedby Ars Technica‘sKen Fisher, who noted that the new requirement of having a prioroperating system already installed was going to cause irritation forusers who reinstall Windows on a regular basis.^[52]It has been revealed that an Upgrade copy Windows Vista can beinstalled clean without first installing a previous version of Windows.On the first install, Windows will refuse to activate. The user mustthen reinstall that same copy of Vista. Vista will then activate on thereinstall, thus allowing a user to install an Upgrade of Windows Vistawithout owning a previous operating system.^[53]As with Windows XP, separate rules still apply to OEM versions of Vistainstalled on new PCs; these are not legally transferrable.^[54]The cost of Windows Vista has also been a source of concern andcommentary. A majority of users in a poll said that the prices ofvarious Windows Vista editions posted on the Microsoft Canada websitein August 2006 make the product too expensive.^[55]A BBC News report on the day of Vista‘s release suggested that, "theremay be a backlash from consumers over its pricing plans - with the costof Vista versions in the US roughly half the price of equivalentversions in the UK."^[56]

Digital Rights Management

Another common criticism concerns the integration of new forms of Digital Rights Management into the operating system, specifically the introduction of the Protected Video Path. This architecture is designed such that "premium content" from HD DVD or Blu-raydiscs may mandate that the connections between PC components beencrypted. Devices such as graphic cards must be approved by Microsoft.Depending on what the content demands, the devices may not pass premiumcontent over non-encrypted outputs, or they must artificially degradethe quality of the signal on such outputs or not display it all. Thereis also a revocation mechanism that allows Microsoft to disable driversof compromised devices in end-user PCs over the Internet.^[57] Peter Gutmann, security researcher and author of the open source cryptlib library, claims that these mechanisms violate fundamental rights of the user (such as fair use), unnecessarily increase the cost of hardware, and make systems less reliable and vulnerable to denial-of-service attacks.^[58]Proponents have claimed that Microsoft had no choice but to follow thedemands of the movie studios, and that the technology will not actuallybe enabled until after 2010;^[59][60] Microsoft also noted that content protection mechanisms have existed in Windows as far back as Windows Me, and that the new protections will not apply to any existing content (only future content).^[61]

User Account Control

Concerns have been raised about the new User Account Control (UAC) security technology. While Yankee Groupanalyst Andrew Jaquith believes that critical security vulnerabilitiesmay be "reduced by as much as 80%," he also noted that "while the newsecurity system shows promise, it is far too chatty and annoying."^[62] However, this statement was made over six months before Vista was actually released (even before Beta 2was released). By the time Windows Vista was released in November 2006,Microsoft had drastically reduced the number of operating system tasksthat triggered UAC prompts, and added file and registry virtualization to reduce the number of legacy applications that trigger UAC prompts.^[63]

Similarity to Mac OS X

Another criticism is a claim by some that Windows Vista emulates specific features in Apple‘s Mac OS X. Long-time Mac columnist and book author John Rizzo noted in an eWeek article that Vista incorporated features which Mac OS X has had for some time such as fast searching, seen in the Spotlight feature on the Mac, Smart Foldersfunctionality already available in the Mac‘s Finder, and that theicons, terminology and visual appearance mimic those of Mac OS X.^[64] Others have come to a similar conclusion that Aero is an imitation of Aqua.^[65] However, some of these counterparts or similarities (such as Windows Desktop Search to Mac OS X‘s Spotlight) were included in early alpha versions of Vista, demonstrated in prototypes, or released as products for Windows XP before Apple included the features in Mac OS X v10.4.^[66][67]

Hardware requirements

Some controversy and concerns have arisen over how the increase inhardware specifications required to take advantage of many of Vista‘snew features may have an impact on both personal and business users.^[68][69]While most Desktop PCs purchased after 2002 and laptops purchased after2005 will be able to meet Vista’s minimum “Windows Vista Capable”requirements^{[citation needed]},many laptops and low-end to midrange desktops with integrated graphicswill not be able to meet “Windows Vista Premium Ready” requirements andalthough they will be able to run Windows Vista with the Basicinterface, they will not be able to take advantage of the Aero Glassinterface.^[70][71]

Software Protection Platform

Vista includes an enhanced set of anti-piracy technologies, based on Windows XP‘s WGA, called Software Protection Platform (SPP).^[72]A major component of this is a new reduced functionality mode, whichVista enters when it detects that the user has "failed productactivation or of that copy being identified as counterfeit ornon-genuine",^[73] which is described in a Microsoft white paper as follows: "Thedefault Web browser will be started and the user will be presented withan option to purchase a new product key. There is no start menu, nodesktop icons, and the desktop background is changed to black. [...]After one hour, the system will log the user out without warning".^[74] This has been criticised for being overly draconian,^[75][76] especially given the imperfect false-positive record of SPP‘s predecessor, WGA.^[77]

See also

• History of Microsoft Windows
• Comparison of Windows versions
• List of games with DirectX 10 support
• Microsoft Office 2007 — the current release of Microsoft Office that shipped simultaneously with Windows Vista.
• Windows Server 2008 — the successor to Windows Server 2003 and based on the same codebase as Windows Vista.
• Windows 7 — the next major release of the Windows operating system planned for release during the 2009–2011 time period

Notes and references

1. ^ Microsoft (2005-07-22). Media Alert: Microsoft Unveils Official Name for “Longhorn” and Sets Date for First Beta Targeted at Developers and IT Professionals. Retrieved on 2007-01-02.
2. ^ Microsoft Launches Windows Vista and the 2007 Office System to Consumers. PressCentre. Microsoft New Zealand (2007-01-30). Retrieved on 2007-01-30.
3. ^ Windows Marketplace: Windows Vista Upgrade Editions: Get Started. Windows Marketplace. Microsoft (2007-01-30). Retrieved on 2007-01-30.
4. ^ ^{a b} Ricadela, Aaron (2006-02-14). Gates Says Security Is Job One For Vista. InformationWeek News. Retrieved on 2006-08-13.
5. ^ ^{a b} Ricciuti, Mike (2004-06-01). Microsoft: Longhorn beta unlikely this year. CNet News. Retrieved on 2006-08-12.
6. ^ Galli, Peter (2001-07-30). Pushing Forward - the next version of Windows. eWeek. Retrieved on 2006-07-07.
7. ^ Steve Lipner, Michael Howard (March 2005). The Trustworthy Computing Security Development Lifecycle. Microsoft Developer Network. Retrieved on 2006-08-09.
8. ^ A Closer Look at Windows Vista Part II: Enhanced Search. National Instruments (2006).
9. ^ Windows Internet Explorer, Printing Advances Printing in IE7.
10. ^ Windows Mail Features Explained, See Reliability Section Windows Mail.
11. ^ Windows Mail was demonstrated by the development team in this Channel 9 video.
12. ^ Selected Scenarios for Maintaining Data Integrity with Windows Vista. Microsoft (2006). Retrieved on 2006-08-24.
13. ^ Windows Update, Easier and Less Distruptive Windows Update in Windows Vista.
14. ^ Windows Vista, SAPI Talking Windows
15. ^ TWAR05002_WinHEC05.ppt at download.microsoft.com. Retrieved on 2007-01-25.
16. ^ Windows Vista, The System Assesment Tool WinSat.
17. ^ blogs.technet.com. Retrieved on 2007-01-25.
18. ^ Protected Mode IE has been described in detail at the Internet Explorer team blog: Protected Mode in Vista IE7 and More details on Protected Mode IE in Windows Vista.
19. ^ BitLocker Drive Encryption: Executive Overview. Microsoft (2006-04-05). Retrieved on 2007-06-19.
20. ^ What‘s New in Group Policy in Windows Vista and Windows Server "Longhorn". TechNet. Microsoft. Retrieved on 2006-05-18.
21. ^ .NET Framework 3.0 Technologies, Microsoft
22. ^ Booker, Logan (2005-09-15). DirectX 10: More harm than good for graphics?. Maximum Power Computing Atomic. Retrieved on 2006-05-28.
23. ^ VedBrat, Kam (2006-02-22). more comments.... MSDN Blogs. Retrieved on 2006-05-28.
24. ^ Trevett, Neil (2006). OpenGL on Vista. Khronos Group. Retrieved on 2006-11-09.
25. ^ Nguyen, Tuan. OpenGL Now Natively Supported in Windows Vista. Retrieved on 2007-01-25.
26. ^ Enable Game port on vista. Creative (2004-12-08). Retrieved on 2007-06-22.
27. ^ Discontinued Support for IP over 1394. Microsoft (2004-12-08). Retrieved on 2007-06-22.
28. ^ Microsoft Removes WinHlp32.exe from Vista. Microsoft (2006-06-27). Retrieved on 2006-08-31.
29. ^ Tekmaven (2006-05-02). Windows Vista does not include Telnet...or does it?. Retrieved on 2007-06-22.
30. ^ Microsoft (2006-02-26). Microsoft Unveils Windows Vista Product Lineup. Press release. Retrieved on 2006-10-31.
31. ^ VedBrat, Kam. Desktop And Presentation Impact On Hardware Design (Powerpoint presentation). Microsoft. Retrieved on 2006-09-01.
32. ^ ^{a b c} Windows Vista Enterprise Hardware Planning Guidance. TechNet. Microsoft (2006). Retrieved on 2006-10-26.
33. ^ Microsoft and PC Manufacturers Make It Easier for Customers to Get Ready for Windows Vista. PressPass. Microsoft (2006-05-18). Retrieved on 2006-05-18.
34. ^ Windows Vista Upgrade Advisor. Retrieved on 2006-06-25.
35. ^ MsBetas‘ List of Vista Ready GPUs. Retrieved on 2007-07-30.
36. ^ Windows Vista Upgrade Advisor. Retrieved on 2006-06-25.
37. ^ Windows Vista Alternate Media. Retrieved on 2007-08-20.
38. ^ 64 MB RAM supports Aero with up to 1,310,720 total pixels (e.g. 1280 × 1024) but is not Premium Ready [1]
39. ^ "Microsoft‘s Muglia Talks Longhorn, Novell and Java", eWeek, 2006-11-17, pp. 3. Retrieved on 2007-06-19. 
40. ^ ^{a b} Fried, Ina. "Microsoft agrees to change Vista desktop search", ZDNet News, 2007-06-19. Retrieved on 2007-06-19. 
41. ^ John Obeto. Windows Vista SP1: The Official Word. NetworkWorld. Retrieved on 2007-07-21.
42. ^ "LEAKED: Vista SP1 analysed in depth", APCmag.com, 2007-08-12, pp. 1. Retrieved on 2007-08-12. 
43. ^ Managing Group Policy with Windows Vista. Microsoft (June 1, 2006). Retrieved on 2007-04-06.
44. ^ Don’t judge a book by its cover – why Windows Vista Defrag is cool. The Filing Cabinet. MSDN Blogs (January 26, 2007). Retrieved on 2007-04-06.
45. ^ Fulton, Scott M., III. "Vista SP1 to Include Common Security APIs for Partners", BetaNews, 2006-10-19. Retrieved on 2007-06-12. 
46. ^ Kernel Patch Protection Criteria Evaluation Document. Microsoft (2006-12-19). Retrieved on 2007-06-12.
47. ^ Windows Installer. MSDN (2007-06-01). Retrieved on 2007-07-08.
48. ^ ^{a b c} Zheng, Long (2007-07-22). Collection of published Vista SP1 API changes from MSDN. Retrieved on 2007-07-23.
49. ^ Thurrott, Paul (2007-02-14). Windows "Vienna"/"Seven"/"7" FAQ. Retrieved on 2007-04-06.
50. ^ Hruska, Joel (2007-08-09). Microsoft releases information on upcoming D3D 10.1 update. Retrieved on 2008-08-10.
51. ^ Sullivan, John (2007-03-06). What‘s wrong with Microsoft Windows Vista?. Bad Vista. Retrieved on 2007-03-24.
52. ^ Fisher, Ken (2007-01-28). Vista "upgrade" drops compliance checking, requires old OS to install. Ars Technica. Retrieved on 2007-01-28.
53. ^ Thurrott, Paul (2007-02-03). How to Clean Install Windows Vista with Upgrade Media. Paul Thurrott. Retrieved on 2007-02-05.
54. ^ Fried, Ina (2006-10-16). Microsoft limits Vista transfers. CNET News.com. Retrieved on 2006-10-19.
55. ^ Beer, Stan (2006-08-30). Windows Vista too expensive says users. ITWire.com. Retrieved on 2006-10-19.
56. ^ Microsoft starts Vista hard sell. Technology. BBC News (2007-01-30). Retrieved on 2007-01-30.
57. ^ Output Content Protection and Windows Vista. WHDC. Microsoft (2005-04-27). Retrieved on 2007-01-08.
58. ^ Gutmann, Peter (2007-01-27). A Cost Analysis of Windows Vista Content Protection. Retrieved on 2007-01-27. Also available: PDF version
59. ^ Smith, Paul (2006-12-31). Windows Vista DRM nonsense. Retrieved on 2007-01-03.
60. ^ Fisher, Ken (2006-05-21). Hollywood reportedly in agreement to delay forced quality downgrades for Blu-ray, HD DVD. Ars Technica. Retrieved on 2007-01-21.
61. ^ Marsh, Dave (2007-01-20). Windows Vista Content Protection - Twenty Questions (and Answers). Windows Vista team blog. Microsoft. Retrieved on 2007-01-20.
62. ^ Evers, Joris (2006-05-07). Report: Vista to hit anti-spyware, firewall markets. ZDNet News. CNet. Retrieved on 2007-01-21.
63. ^ Charles (2007-03-05). UAC - What. How. Why. (video). Retrieved on 2007-03-23.
64. ^ Rizzo, John (2005-07-31). Apple‘s Tiger vs. Windows Vista: Who Comes Out Ahead?. eWeek. Retrieved on 2006-05-08.
65. ^ Windows Vista resembles OS X. MacNN (2006-03-09). Retrieved on 2006-05-08.
66. ^ Thurrott, Paul (2002-11-13). "Longhorn" Alpha Preview. Windows SuperSite. Retrieved on 2007-01-15.
67. ^ Thurrott, Paul (May 27, 2005). MSN Search Toolbar with Windows Desktop Search Review. Windows SuperSite. Retrieved on 2007-04-17.
68. ^ Wagner, Mitch (2006-03-01). Microsoft Will Stumble On Windows Vista And Office 2007. Informationweek.com. Retrieved on 2006-08-16.
69. ^ Judge, Elizabeth (2006-05-20). Windows revamp ‘too advanced for most PCs‘. The Times. Retrieved on 2006-08-15.
70. ^ Spooner, John G. and Mary Jo Foley (2005-08-05). Will Your PC Run Windows Vista?. eWeek. Retrieved on 2006-08-15.
71. ^ Peters, Luke (2006-07-18). How Vista will affect notebooks. PC World. Retrieved on 2006-08-15.
72. ^ Computerworld. The Skinny on Windows SPP and Reduced Functionality in Vista.
73. ^ Microsoft PressPass. Microsoft’s Software Protection Platform: Protecting Software and Customers from Counterfeiter.
74. ^ White Paper: Microsoft’s Software Protection Platform: Innovations for Windows Vista and Windows Server “Longhorn” (DOC). Microsoft PressPass (2006-10-03).
75. ^ Hands On: A Hard Look at Windows Vista (2006-11-10). Retrieved on 2007-07-19.
76. ^ Bott, Ed (2006-10-04). For Vista, WGA gets tougher. Ed Bott‘s Microsoft Report. Retrieved on 2007-07-19.
77. ^ Ed Bott (2006-10-04). WGA failures Another wave of WGA failures. Ed Bott‘s Microsoft Report. Retrieved on 2007-07-19.

External links

Microsoft

• Microsoft Windows Vista — Microsoft Windows Vista homepage
• Microsoft Windows Vista Upgrade Info — Windows Vista Upgrade planning
• Microsoft Windows Vista Product Guide — Contains complete, feature-by-feature comparisons of the various Windows Vista editions
• Microsoft Windows Vista Hardware Design — Hardware Design for Windows Vista — News for Driver Developers and Hardware Engineers
• Microsoft Technet — Windows Vista: Resources for IT Professionals
• MSDN — Windows Vista Developer Center on MSDN
• The Windows Vista Blog — Official blog of the Windows Vista Team
• See Windows Vista — Official website with information on how the new Windows Vista Operating System works
• The behavior of reduced functionality mode in Windows Vista - Microsoft support explaining the Reduced functionality mode.

Reviews and screenshots

• Windows Vista Screenshots Gallery — Collection of Vista Screenshots from Different Builds
• Paul Thurrott‘s SuperSite for Windows — Windows Vista Activity Center
• How secure is Window‘s new Vista?
• Features of Windows Vista
• Windows Vista 32-bit and 64-bit Performance Compared
• Windows Vista Ultimate — CNET review
• Windows XP vs. Vista: The Benchmark Rundown — Tom‘s Hardware Guide review

Criticism

• CNET — Hollywood, Microsoft align on new Windows
• Technology Review — Will Windows Upgrade Hand Power To Big Media?

Security vulnerabilities

• Vulnerability Report: Microsoft Windows Vista including known unpatched vulnerabilities from Secunia
• Vista vulnerabilities from SecurityFocus