The Hindu Business Line : New horizons

The first thing you notice about Windows Vista, the new operating system from Microsoft which will be available in a little while, is the brilliant and interactive graphics that you find on the desktop and the user interface. This is, of course, only if you have a high-end computer that allows Vista to use its "Aero" interface rather than the classic version.

The moment you click on the "Start" button, you are offered a startlingly different menu - very different from what long-time users are familiar with - that doesn't contain the comfortable `All Programs' but a search box.

And this is where things begin to unravel: If you want to launch an application, say PowerPoint, you just start typing in the word and by the time you have typed in p-o-w, the search results box in the Start menu starts to fill up with programs, folders and files, and email messages (in that order) containing the letters p-o-w, and PowerPoint is already there.

Many of the new features in Vista revolve around search and it is not surprising that the Explorer has also become a search and aggregate tool. With the Search Folder, you can, for instance, run a search for the name of a person to search and store all files - documents, images, video, and email - connected with that person in a single window, without navigating across folders.

Taking that example further, one of the problems with desktop search till now has been that we typically can't figure out exactly which version or which file we are looking for till we open it. The new view options include an automatic preview of the file - the first page of a document, a photo or even the album art for a soundtrack or audio clip.

Another gripe has been about switching between open documents and applications where the filenames may not be visible or may mean nothing. The new OS has two fixes to that problem: live taskbar thumbnails (you get a thumbnail image of the window when you move your mouse over the taskbar item); and Windows Flip and Flip 3D (which allows you to use alt{gt}+tab{gt} keys to switch between applications while showing you a live preview of all the windows currently open).

While the improvements in ease of use are varied and many, some features in the area of security are welcome, too: Windows Defender, a better-equipped Windows Firewall, and regular updates of the malicious software removal tool should provide much protection from hackers, viruses, worms and spyware.

Perhaps one of the best improvements in security comes from the new User Access Control (UAC) feature, which allows you to log into the computer and work as a standard user (and not as an administrator) but have access to certain administration rights depending on the software or process requirement. This basically means that even administrators are protected from unwanted software installation.

The impact of the Web on the OS is now seen with the addition of gadgets to the Windows desktop. Gadgets are small applications that use Web services to provide you with live information. You can monitor the weather in your hometown, control your media player, run a slideshow or monitor the news.

The new start menu with the instant search box where the 'All Programs' link used to be.

Vista also includes some performance boosting features such as a "Sleep" mode which behaves like a hybrid of the Standby and Hibernate modes in Windows XP; SuperFetch, which intelligently preloads applications you use frequently into the computer's memory (so that they run faster); ReadyBoost, which allows the PC to use a USB-flash drive as additional RAM; and ReadyDrive, which boosts recovery speeds from Sleep mode, the only drawback being that it needs a special range of hybrid hard disks to work. Vista also sports an improved system backup and restore feature compared to Windows XP.

What's new for the home user in particular? Parental controls, which let you control access to games and applications; and a report of what your child did with the PC while you were away - Web sites visited, games played, applications used, etc; Photo Gallery, which allows you to find, organise and tag your photos, as well as edit and share them; and the Windows Calendar.

If you plan to upgrade to Vista, do download and run the Windows Vista Upgrade advisor available from the Microsoft Web site before you decide. Please remember that the minimum requirements are exactly that - the OS will work in that environment but don't expect it to be blazing fast. Be generous while estimating your own requirements, especially if you are a power user and do a lot of multimedia, graphics or gaming. A better bet would be to go in for a new PC with Vista pre-installed.

For businesses, some of the best aspects of the new OS may well prove to be a hurdle. Do test custom and legacy applications with Vista extensively to make sure that the security improvements are not an obstacle to smooth working. Of course, another aspect would be to estimate the cost of upgrading hardware to support the new OS!

Our Take:

The Pros:

Improved usability, though power users will take some getting used to it

Well executed search

Better security

Good looks

The Cons:

You need a new PC

Enterprise deployment will require extensive testing

nagaraj@thehindu.co.in