Template:Beta software

Windows Vista

File:Windows Vista 5472 desktop.png Windows Vista Build 5472 Desktop
Developer	Microsoft
OS family	Windows NT
Working state	Beta
Source model	Proprietary/Shared source
Kernel type	Hybrid kernel
License	Microsoft EULA
Official website	Windows Vista

Windows Vista is the name of a major version of Microsoft Windows, a proprietary graphical operating system used on personal computers, including home and business desktops, notebook computers, and media centers. Prior to the announcement of the Vista name on July 22 2005, it was known by its codename Longhorn, after the Longhorn Saloon, a popular bar in Whistler, British Columbia.^[1] Windows Vista is currently in beta testing; Microsoft has stated the scheduled release dates for Windows Vista are currently November 2006 for business editions, and January 2007 for consumer editions.^[2] These release dates come more than five years after the release of Windows XP, Microsoft's current consumer and business operating system, making it the longest time span between releases of Windows.

According to Microsoft, Windows Vista has hundreds of new features, the most significant of which 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, display sub-systems. Vista also aims to increase the level of communication between machines on a home network using peer-to-peer technology, making it easier to share files, password settings, and digital media between computers and devices. High-end editions of Vista are expected to include Microsoft's Virtual PC, so that previous versions of Windows can be run simultaneously with Windows Vista on the same machine, with a view to running applications incompatible with Windows Vista.

For developers, Vista introduces version 3.0 of the .NET Framework, which aims to make it significantly easier for developers to write high-quality applications than with the traditional Windows API. The Windows Communication Foundation feature which supports web services is aimed at improving networking and application integration for business and corporate users.

Microsoft's primary stated goal with Vista has been to improve the state of security in the Windows operating system. Amongst the many common criticisms of Windows XP and its predecessors, the most significant has been its commonly exploited security vulnerabilities, and an overall susceptibility to malware, viruses and buffer overflows. In light of this, then Microsoft chairman Bill Gates announced in early 2002 a company-wide 'Trustworthy Computing initiative' which aims to incorporate security work into every aspect of software development at the company. Microsoft claimed it prioritized improving the security of Windows XP and Windows Server 2003 above finishing Windows Vista, which has significantly delayed its completion^{[citation needed]}.

Development

Microsoft started work on their plans for "Longhorn" in May 2001, some months before the release of Windows XP.^[3] It was originally expected to ship sometime late in 2003 as a minor step between Windows XP and "Blackcomb" (now known as Windows "Vienna").^[4] Gradually, "Longhorn" assimilated many of the important new features and technologies slated for "Blackcomb", resulting in the release date being pushed back a few times. Many of Microsoft's developers were also re-tasked with improving the security of Windows XP. Faced with ongoing delays and concerns about feature creep, Microsoft announced on August 27 2004 that it was making significant changes. "Longhorn" development basically started afresh, building on the Windows Server 2003 codebase, and re-incorporating only the features that would be intended for an actual operating system release. Some previously announced features, such as WinFS and NGSCB, were dropped or postponed, and a new software development methodology called the "Security Development Lifecycle" was incorporated in an effort to address concerns with the security of the Windows codebase.^[5]

After "Longhorn" was named Windows Vista, an unprecedented beta-test program was started, which has involved hundreds of thousands of volunteers and companies. In September 2005, Microsoft started releasing regular Community Technology Previews (CTP) to beta testers. The first of these was build 5219, distributed among 2005 PDC attendees, and has been released to Microsoft Beta testers and MSDN subscribers. Subsequent CTPs have introduced most of the planned features for the final product, as well as a number of changes to the user interface, based in large part on feedback from beta testers.

Windows Vista was deemed feature-complete with the release of build 5308 CTP, released on February 22 2006, and much of the remainder of work between that build and the final release of the product will focus on stability, performance, application and driver compatibility, and documentation. Windows Vista Beta 2 was released to testers on May 23 2006 and to the general public on June 7 2006 through Microsoft's Customer Preview Program, with the program running until the beginning of July. It was offered for free either via download from their web site or by ordering a DVD. Microsoft hints that there will be release candidates for Windows Vista by promising a Release Candidate 1 when it becomes available for those who signed up for the Beta 2 CPP.

Microsoft's roadmap indicates that the current planned "release to manufacturing" date is on or before October 25 2006.^[6] Kevin Johnson, co-president of Microsoft's Platforms & Services Division, stated on July 28 that "At this point in time, there is no data or information that says we are not going to make the November business availability or the January consumer availability."[2]

New and updated features

Windows Vista has a long list of new features, changes, and improvements. While a complete list has not been published by Microsoft yet, recent development builds of Windows Vista, Microsoft employee blogs, and published documentation have collectively identified most of the features that Microsoft intends to include when the product is released.

End-user features

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• Windows Aero: a re-designed 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 previous Windows, including new transparencies, animations and eye candy.
• Windows Shell: The new Windows shell is significantly different from Windows XP, offering a new range of organization and search capabilities (it's possible using boolean operators like AND, OR and NOT). The Start menu has changed as well; it no longer uses ever-expanding boxes when navigating through Programs. Even the word "Start" itself has been removed in favor of a blue Windows "Pearl".
• Instant Search (or search as you type): significantly faster and more thorough search capabilities, similar to what is offered by Microsoft's Windows Desktop Search and Apple Computer's Spotlight. Search boxes have been added to the Start menu, Windows Explorer, and several of the applications included with Vista. By default Instant Search indexes only a small amount of folders such as the start menu, the names of files opened, the Documents folder, and the e-mail messages when opened so it's not heavy but very light.
• Windows Sidebar: A new panel on the right-hand side of the screen, similar to Apple Computer's Dashboard, where a user can place Desktop Gadgets, which are small applets designed for a specialized purpose (such as displaying the weather or sports scores). The gadgets can also be placed on other parts of the Desktop, if desired.
• Internet Explorer 7, an upgrade of Microsoft's web browser, with support for tabbed browsing, RSS, a search box, a phishing filter, IDN with anti-spoofing technology and improved standards support. For added security, ActiveX controls are disabled by default. Also, Internet Explorer will operate in a "protected mode" sandbox which operates with lower permissions than the user, preventing it from accessing or modifying anything besides the Temporary Internet Files directory.^[7] Also, for better security, Internet Explorer is no longer integrated with the explorer shell (local files typed in IE are opened using the explorer shell and Web sites typed in the explorer shell are opened using IE).
• Windows Media Player 11, a major revamp of Microsoft's popular program for playing and organizing music, videos and also images. New features in this version include word wheeling (or "search as you type"), a completely new and highly graphical interface for the media library, photos display and organization, and the ability to share music libraries over a network with other Vista machines, the Xbox 360, and other Media Center Extenders.
• Windows Firewall: Supports filtering both incoming and outgoing traffic. It's also possible to create advanced packet filter rules. Rules can be configured for services by its service name choosen by a list, without needing to specify the full path file name.
• Windows Defender: Microsoft's Anti-spyware product has been incorporated into Windows, offering protection against spyware and other threats. Changes to various system configuration settings (such as new auto-starting applications) are blocked unless the user gives consent. The new version uses Windows Automatic Updates to receive definition updates, also works properly with standard user accounts, and has integration with IE so that downloads are scanned when they are downloaded, which reduces the risk of accidentally downloading malicious software.
• Backup and Restore: A new 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 CompletePC backup which backs up an entire computer as an image onto a hard disk or DVD. The CompletePC backup can automatically recreate a machine setup onto new hardware or hard disk in case of any hardware failures.
• Windows Mail: A replacement for Outlook Express that includes a completely replaced mail store that improves stability, and enables real-time search. A number of features from Outlook 2003 are also included, most notably junk mail filtering.^[8]

File:Windows Vista 5472 Windows Update.png

• Windows Update: Software and security updates have been simplified, now operating solely via a control panel instead of as a Web application. Mail's spam filter and Defender's definitions will also be automatically updated via Windows Update.
• Parental Controls control which websites, programs, and games each person can use and install.
• 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 fully integrated into Vista, which can be "trained" to understand a user's voice, to activate commands in any Windows application, and to enable voice dictation. It supports multiple languages.
• Many new fonts, including several designed especially for screen reading, and a new high-quality Japanese font. See Windows Vista typefaces. ClearType has also been enhanced.
• Games: Every game included with Windows has been rewritten to take advantage of Vista's new graphics capabilities. New games include Chess, Mahjong Titans and Purble Place. The Games section will also hold links and information to all games on the user's computer. One piece of information that will be shown is the game's ESRB rating.
• 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.
• Windows Meeting Space is the replacement for 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.
• SuperFetch, which will speed up the loading of programs and windows by noting the common time of day you use certain programs, then loading the necessary binaries and files in RAM shortly before the set time, so that when you open the program at your usual time, the programs will load much quicker than they would otherwise. Optionally, SuperFetch can also be used in conjunction with ReadyBoost to boost system performance.
• ReadyBoost makes PCs running Windows Vista more responsive by using flash memory on a USB 2.0 drive, SD Card, Compact Flash, or other form of flash memory, in order to boost system performance. It does this by caching pages moved out of conventional RAM to the USB/Flash drive before falling back to the slower conventional hard drive. This is optional, and the choice to utilize this feature is presented to the user during Autostart, when the drive is first plugged in.

File:PreviousVersions.png

• ReadyDrive, enables Windows Vista PCs equipped with a hybrid drive to boot up faster, resume from hibernation in less time, and preserve battery power. Hybrid hard drives are a new type of hard disk that integrates non-volatile flash memory with a traditional hard drive.
• Touchscreen support will be included.^[9]
• Problem Reports and Solutions, a new control panel which allows users to see previously sent problems and any solutions or additional information that is available.
• Improved Disk Managment allows to resize disk partitions without any data loss
• Improved built-in disk defragmenter can be automatically scheduled to run and it runs at low priority so it doesn't interfere with other disk accesses.
• Windows Task Manager has been improved with the ability to control Windows services, view file properties, view the full path and command line of the processes, and more clearly see how much physical memory and page file space is being used.
• Improved task scheduler with a lot of new conditions and filters
• Improved Audio allows controlling system-wide volume or volume of individual audio devices and even individual applications separately
• Previous Versions automatically creates a backup copies of files and folders, with daily frequency. When the user right-clicks on a folder and selects "Restore previous versions", it shows multiple versions of a file throughout a limited history and allows the user to restore, delete, or copy those versions (this feature is available only in the Business, Enterprise, and Ultimate editions of Windows Vista).

Core technologies

Windows Vista is intended to be a technology-based release, to provide a solid base to include advanced technologies, many of which will be related to how the system functions, and hence not readily visible to the user.

• Completely rearchitected audio, print, display and networking stacks.
• User Account Control is a new security technology that allows Windows to operate effectively as a "standard" user with fewer privileges. This was often a difficult thing to do in previous versions of Windows, because the previous "limited" user accounts proved too restrictive and incompatible with a large proportion of application software. When an action requiring administrative rights is requested, the user will first be prompted to confirm their action (or be asked for an administrator password if they are not themselves an administrator). UAC asks for credentials in a Secure Desktop mode, where the entire screen is blacked out and temporarily disabled, to present only the elevation UI. This is to prevent spoofing of the UI or the mouse by the application requesting elevation. UAC also provides files and registry virtualization.
• Native IPv6 stack, which also works with IPv4, eliminating the need for dual-stack network architecture. Improved resistance to all known TCP/IP-based denial-of-service and other types of network attacks. Enable more modular components that can be dynamically inserted and removed. Reconfigure without having to restart the computer. Automatically senses the network environment and adjusts key performance settings, such as the TCP receive window
• A number of new security measures including BitLocker Drive Encryption
• Improved memory manager and processes scheduler. I/O has been enhanced with I/O asynchronous cancellation and I/O scheduling based on thread priority. Many kernel data structures and algorithms have been rewritten. A new improved Heap manager with better security and performances.
• System services are in a separated and isolated session. User processes are in another session.
• Windows Service Hardening prevents Windows services from doing operations on file systems, registry or networks which they are not supposed to, thereby preventing entry of malware by piggybacking on system services
• Address Space Layout Randomization (ASLR) to prevent Return-to-libc buffer overflow attacks.
• The new Kernel Transaction Manager enables atomic transaction operations across different types of objects, most significantly file system (Transactional NTFS) and Registry operations.
• Deadlock Detection Technology is a new technology that will include checking for a deadlock condition for Windows error reports.^[10]

Business technologies

While much of the focus of Vista's new capabilities will be centered on the new user interface, Microsoft is also adding a large number of new features to make a compelling case for businesses still running Windows NT, 2000, and XP desktops.

• The WIM image format 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.
• Approximately 800 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.^[11]
• 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.

Developer technologies

.NET Framework 3.0, formerly WinFX, is a set of technologies that Microsoft is intending to make available for Windows XP and Windows Server 2003, and are therefore not technologies exclusive to Vista, but rather developed in time for the Vista release. Allowing an easier introduction of these technologies to developers and end users may be a reason for backporting them.

Microsoft labels the new key technologies in this version of Windows as "The Pillars of Vista":

Presentation

The Windows Presentation Foundation or WPF, formerly code-named Avalon: a new user interface subsystem and framework based on Direct3D (DirectX), and vector graphics, which will make use of 3D computer graphics hardware and Direct3D technologies. See Windows Graphics Foundation.

Communication

The Windows Communication Foundation or WCF, formerly code-named Indigo: a service-oriented messaging subsystem which will enable applications and systems to interoperate locally or remotely using web services.

Workflow

The Windows Workflow Foundation or WF: was announced in August 2005, and allows task automation and integrated transactions using workflows.

There are also significant new development APIs in the core of the operating system, notably the inclusion of the .NET Framework, completely re-architected audio, networking, print, and video interfaces, major changes to the security infrastructure, improvements to the deployment and installation of applications ("ClickOnce" and Windows Installer 4.0), new device driver development model ("Windows Driver Foundation"), Transactional NTFS, and major updates to many core subsystems such as Winlogon and CAPI.

There are some issues for software developers using some of the graphics APIs in Vista. Games or programs which are built on Vista's version of Direct3D, 10, will not work on prior versions of Windows, as Direct3D 10 is not backwards-compatible with Direct3D 9.^[12] Also, according to a Microsoft Blog,^[13] there are two OpenGL paths under Vista. An application can use the default implementation, frozen at OpenGL version 1.4. An application can use an ICD as well, which comes in two flavors: legacy and Vista-compatible. A legacy ICD functions as specified above: the activation of one will turn off the desktop compositor. A Vista-compatible ICD, made by IHVs using a new internal API path provided by Microsoft, will be completely compatible with the desktop compositor. Given the statements made by the two primary OpenGL ICD vendors (ATi and nVidia), it would be reasonable to expect both to provide full Vista-compatible ICDs for Windows Vista."

Features dropped

Some notable Windows XP features and components have been replaced or removed in Windows Vista. Perhaps the most significant of these is the removal of Windows Messenger and MSN Explorer, and the replacement of NetMeeting with Windows Meeting Space. Windows Vista also does not include the Windows XP "Luna" visual theme. The "Hardware profiles" startup feature has been removed as well, along with support for older motherboard technologies like the EISA bus and APM.

WinFS was the codename for a planned relational database layer built on top of NTFS, and was loosely based on SQL Server 2005. In August 2004, Microsoft announced that WinFS would not be included in Windows Vista. This was due to time constraints in developing the technology. Microsoft has been working on this technology since the mid 1990s. For a time, Microsoft had said that WinFS would be released separately of Vista, but on June 23 2006, Microsoft announced that they decided to integrate some of the developed features into the next versions of ADO.NET and SQL Server, effectively cancelling the separate WinFS project. ^[14]

Features delayed

• Due to scheduling issues, the Windows PowerShell, code-named Monad, will not be included in Windows Vista. However, Microsoft has announced that it will be available as a separate download in the fourth quarter of 2006^[15]. A release candidate is currently available for download [3].
• Owing to significant difficulties in getting third-party developers to support the system (particularly due to the lack of support for writing for the Trusted Operating Root using .NET managed code), the Next-Generation Secure Computing Base architecture was abandoned for Windows Vista.^[16] Some aspects of the NGSCB initiative, such as support for Trusted Platform Module chips, are still present, though its role is now limited to being a provider of cryptographic functions which will support BitLocker Drive Encryption.
• Support for Intel's Extensible Firmware Interface was originally slated to be included with Vista, but has been removed due to what Microsoft has described as a lack of support on desktop computers.^[17] The UEFI 2.0 specification (which replaces EFI 1.10) wasn't completed until early 2006, and as of mid-2006, no firmware manufacturers have completed a production implementation. Microsoft has stated that it intends on incorporating 64-bit UEFI support into a future update to Vista, but 32-bit UEFI will not be supported.^[18]
• PC-to-PC Sync, a Peer-to-peer technology for synchronizing folders on multiple computers running Vista, was removed due to quality concerns. It may arrive sometime in the future in some form.^[19]

File:Windows Vista Aero.png

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File:Windows Vista Basic.png

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Graphical interfaces

Vista's premier interface, Windows Aero, is built on a new desktop composition engine called Desktop Window Manager. Windows Aero, also known as Aero Glass, adds support for 3D graphics (known as Flip 3D), translucency, window animation and other visual effects, and is intended for mainstream and high-end graphics cards and has various hardware requirements such as:

• 64 MB of dedicated graphics memory recommended for 1024x768, 128 MB for 1600x1200+.
• At least 32 bits per pixel.
• Pixel Shader 2.0
• 3D hardware acceleration with capabilities equal to DirectX 9.0.
• A memory bandwidth of 2 GB/s is recommended.
• Capable of drawing ~1.5 M triangles / second, one window being ~150 triangles.
• Windows Display Driver Model (WDDM) Drivers.

(See "Graphics hardware requirements" in the next section for more discussion.)

Windows Aero is not planned for inclusion in the Home Basic and Starter editions, and both Windows Aero and Flip 3D require Windows Genuine Advantage (WGA) to be passed.

Vista also offers other Aero modes. The Standard mode is a variation of Windows Aero without the transparencies, window animations, and other advanced graphical effects such as Flip 3D. Like Windows Aero, it uses the Desktop Compositing Engine, and has generally the same video hardware requirements as Windows Aero. This is the default mode for the Windows Vista Home Basic Edition. The Starter (developing markets) edition does not support this mode. The Basic mode uses the new desktop composition although it has an aspect similar to Windows XP's visual style with the addition of subtle animations such as those found on progress bars, with increased stability and smooth window re-draw. It does not feature transparency or translucency, window animation, Flip 3D or any of the functions provided by the DWM. The Basic mode requires Windows XP Display Driver Model (XPDM) or WDDM drivers as well as the graphics card requirements of Windows XP or 2000.

A more basic interface, Windows Classic, is available as well. An option for corporate deployments and upgrades, Classic has an interface very similar to the appearance of Windows 2000, and does not use the new Desktop Compositing Engine; Flip 3D, live window previews, and tearing-free window dragging are therefore not supported. Classic requires Windows XP Display Driver Model (XPDM) or WDDM drivers and the graphics card requirements of Windows 2000.

Hardware requirements

According to Microsoft, computers which can run Windows Vista are classified as Vista Capable and Vista Premium Ready^[20]. A Vista Capable or equivalent PC needs to have at least 800 MHz processor, 512 MB RAM and a DirectX 9 class graphics card, and will not be capable of supporting the high end Vista graphics, including the Aero user interface. A Vista Premium Ready PC will take advantage of Vista's "high-end" features but will need at least a 1 GHz processor, 1 GB main memory, and an Aero-compatible graphics card with at least 128 MB graphics memory and supporting the new Windows Display Driver Model. The company also offers a beta of Windows Vista Upgrade Advisor^[21] from its Web site to determine the ability of a PC to run Vista in its various guises. The utility only runs on Windows XP.

	Vista Capable	Vista Premium Ready
Processor	800 MHz	1 GHz
Memory	512 MB RAM	1GB RAM
GPU	DirectX 9 capable	DirectX 9 capable GPU with Hardware Pixel Shader v2.0 and WDDM Driver support
GPU Memory	32 MB RAM	128 MB RAM up to 1280x1024 (256 MB+ for greater resolutions)
HDD	20GB	40GB
HDD free space	15GB	15GB
Other drives	CD-ROM	DVD-ROM

Graphics hardware requirements

While Windows Vista's "Basic" and "Classic" interfaces will work with virtually any graphics hardware that supports Windows XP or 2000; most discussion around Vista's graphics requirements centers on those for the Windows Aero interface.

During Vista's early testing stages, the ATI Radeon 9800 Pro and the NVIDIA GeForce FX 5900 were the only cards compatible with Windows Aero. Since then, support has been extended to most DirectX 9 graphics cards; as of Vista Beta 2 the NVIDIA GeForce FX family and later, the ATI Radeon 9500 and later, Intel's GMA 950 integrated graphics, and a handful of VIA chipsets and S3 Graphics discrete chips are supported.^[22] Though some XGI Technology Volari chips were DirectX 9 (including the Volari V3XT which was available in PCI cards), with XGI's exit from the graphics card business it appears none of its chips are supported as of Vista Beta 2.

Microsoft has not specifically stated whether an AGP or PCI Express (PCIe) video card is a requirement for Windows Aero, but they recommend PCIe video due to their greater bandwidth^{[citation needed]}. There are still some PCI cards available that are compatible with Windows Vista:

• According to NVIDIA, the GeForce FX 5200, FX 5500, FX 5700 LE, and 6200 (see below), all of which will work with Windows Aero, are available in PCI cards.^[23]
• BFG Technologies and its 3D Fuzion division state that their GeForce 6200 PCI cards, the only PCI cards with that GPU to date, are Vista-ready.^[24][25]
• In June 2006 an ATI Radeon X1300-based PCI card was made available in Japan.^[26]

Editions

On February 26 2006, Microsoft announced that Windows Vista will ship in six editions.^[27] All versions will be available in both 32-bit (x86) and 64-bit (x86-64) architectures, except Windows Vista Starter which will only be available for 32-bit architectures. A partial table of the features planned for each edition is also available at Paul Thurrott's SuperSite for Windows^[28].

Windows Vista Starter

Much like the Windows XP Starter Edition, this edition will be limited to emerging markets, mainly to offer a legal alternative to using unauthorized copies. It will be severely limited, for example only allowing a user to launch at most three applications with a user interface at once, will not accept incoming network connections, and physical memory is limited to 2 GB.^[29] Additionally, only Celeron and Pentium III processors from Intel, and AMD's Duron, Sempron and Geode processors are supported.

Windows Vista Home Basic

Similar to Windows XP Home Edition, Home Basic is intended for budget users not requiring advanced media support for home use. The Windows Aero theme with translucent effects will not be included with this edition. Home Basic will support up to 8 GB of physical memory.

Windows Vista Home Premium

Containing all features from Home Basic, this edition will additionally support more advanced features aimed for the home market segment, such as HDTV support and DVD authoring. Extra games, mobile and tablet computer support, file system encryption, and a photo management application are also included. This edition is comparable to Windows XP Media Center Edition and Tablet PC Edition. Home Premium will support up to 16 GB of physical memory.

Windows Vista Business

Comparable to Windows XP Professional, and aimed at the business market. Does not include the Media Center features of Home Premium, but does include the IIS web server, fax support, offline files, dual physical processor support, Remote Desktop, ad-hoc P2P collaboration capabilities, and support for 128 GB of memory. Product activation is not present in this edition.

Windows Vista Enterprise

This edition is aimed at the enterprise segment of the market, and is a superset of the Business edition. Additional features include a single-session version of Virtual PC, multilingual user interface support, BitLocker Drive Encryption, and UNIX application support. This edition will not be available through retail or OEM channels, but through Microsoft Software Assurance.^[30]

Windows Vista Ultimate

This edition combines all the features of Home Premium and Enterprise editions, and additionally comes with podcast creation support — which Microsoft has dubbed "blogcasting" — a game performance tweaker (WinSAT), DVD ripping capabilities, and special online services for downloadable media, as well as additional customer service options. The Ultimate edition is aimed to be the most impressive edition of Vista, aimed at high-end PC users, gamers, multimedia professionals, and PC enthusiasts.

"Home Basic N" and "Business N" editions of Windows Vista will additionally be available in the European Union. These editions will ship without Windows Media Player, as required by sanctions brought against Microsoft for violating anti-trust laws.^[31]

The three retail editions (Home Basic, Home Premium, and Ultimate) of Windows Vista will ship on the same DVD. The features of the Home Premium and Ultimate editions may be "unlocked" at any time by purchasing a one-time upgrade license through a Control Panel tool called Windows Anytime Upgrade. The Business edition will also be upgradable to Ultimate. Such licenses will be sold by Microsoft's partners and OEMs, but not directly by Microsoft.

Criticism

A number of criticisms have been placed upon Windows Vista, including concern about the security implications of the large amounts of new code, the inclusion of a number of technologies aimed at restricting the copying of digital media and the usability of the new User Account Control security technology. Reviewers have also noted similarities between the Vista interface and that of Apple's Mac OS X operating system.

Security: In a July 2006 report,^[32] security software vendor (and recently a competitor to Microsoft's OneCare) Symantec's Advanced Threat Research Team said that the large amount of new and untested code in Vista, especially the new implementation of the network stack, could cause instability and new security flaws.^[33] The report claims that "Microsoft has removed a large body of tried and tested code and replaced it with freshly written code, complete with new corner cases and defects." Microsoft responded that they "believe the claims are ... unsubstantiated," and Symantec admits that all of the bugs Symantec found were fixed by the time Beta 2 was released, but adds that "While it is reassuring that Microsoft is finding and fixing these defects, we expect that vulnerabilities will continue to be discovered for some time. A networking stack is a complex piece of software that takes many years to mature." IPv6 tunnelling and peer-to-peer collaboration technologies were identified as additional potential problem areas.

Firewall maker Agnitum has argued that the Kernel Patch Protection feature can be circumvented by hackers and that some security software makers must use similar methods.^[34]

Security researcher Joanna Rutkowska has demonstrated how unsigned drivers could be loaded into the system and how hardware virtualization could be used to make detection of malware very difficult. While the attack, which Rutkowska has code-named "Blue Pill", requires administrator access in addition to a user confirmation step, Microsoft has stated that thay are "investigating solutions for the final release of Windows Vista to help protect against the attacks demonstrated. In addition, we are working with our hardware partners to investigate ways to help prevent the virtualisation attack used by the Blue Pill."^[35]

Digital Content Management: Another common criticism concerns the integration of new forms of Digital Rights Management into the operating system, specifically High-Bandwidth Digital Content Protection (HDCP) and the Image Constraint Token (ICT), which reduces the quality of high-definition video content if the video card and monitor are not HDCP-enabled.^[36] Video cards supporting HDCP did not become available until June 2006. All HD DVD and Blu-ray players must follow AACS guidelines and restrict the resolution for outputs without HDCP to 960×540 provided an ICT flag is given. The decision to set the flag to restrict output ("down-convert") is left to the content provider. The criticism against HDCP may be misplaced, however, as it is still unclear as to whether all high definition media will be subject to HDCP protection, and even if it is, Microsoft will not be the only vendor enforcing support, as Digital Rights Management is largely decided by content providers, not platform providers.^[36] Movie studios are apparently in agreement to not include the ICT flag on any HD DVDs or Blu-ray Discs until at least 2010, or possibly even 2012.^[37]

User Account Control: The new User Account Control (UAC) security technology also causes concern among reviewers. While Yankee Group analyst Andrew Jaquith believes that critical security vulnerabilities may be "reduced by as much as 80 percent", he also noted that "while the new security system shows promise, it is far too chatty and annoying".^[38] Veteran Microsoft reporter Paul Thurrott agrees, contending that the implementation of UAC in Vista build 5342 is a "sad, sad joke" given the number of dialog boxes that one must wade through to do simple tasks.^[39] However, Thurrott appears to have retracted those comments, claiming in his Windows Vista Beta 2 review, that UAC had been "completely overhauled" and is "less annoying," although he acknowledges that Microsoft is "still struggling to find a balance between security and annoyance."^[40] Some Enterpise customers find that UAC in some form is a highly desired feature because of the security threats present in the connected world. Many serious security threats do not get released as a corporate press release because of investor impact.

Similarities to Mac OS X: Another criticism is a claim by some that Windows Vista emulates specific features in Apple Computer's Mac OS X. Scott Spanbauer of PCWorld jokes about a perceived "striking similarity" between Vista's Aero visual effects, icon design, buttons and those of Mac OS X's Aqua.^[41] Paul Thurrott of WindowsITPro made similar comments in his review of build 5308, while also suggesting that some of the new applications "appear to be directly, ahem, influenced by similar applications in OS X."^[39] John Rizzo of eWeek has noted that Vista is incorporating features which OS X has had for some time, such as fast searching and Smart Folders functionality.^[42] This has led some to the conclusion that Aero is a deliberate imitation of Aqua.^[43] Apple themselves picked up on the theme during the keynote presentation at the Worldwide Developers Conference in August 2006, with Bertrand Serlet showing screenshots of Vista and OS X side-by-side in an attempt to demonstrate how similar Vista looks to Mac OS X v10.4.^[44] Other testers have noted that the programing of competive features into a product is common within the software industry, including Apple Computer's Mac OS X as well as Linux. In addition, it has been noted that many features which were purportedly copied (such as fast searching and gadgets) were actually present in early Vista builds before they were demonstrated by Apple, and were already implemented by third-party products such as Google Desktop Search and Konfabulator.

See also

General

• Microsoft Office 2007 — the next release of Microsoft Office that will ship with or almost simultaneously to Windows Vista.
• Microsoft gadgets — about Microsoft's mini-applications that run on the Web sites, Windows, and Devices.
• Windows Meeting Space — Vista's replacement for Microsoft NetMeeting.
• Windows Server "Longhorn" — the successor to Windows Server 2003 and based on the same codebase as Windows Vista.

Further reading

• History of Microsoft Windows

Notes and references

External links

Microsoft

• Microsoft — 'Microsoft Windows Vista homepage'
• Microsoft — 'Official Windows Vista Help and Support'
• Microsoft — 'Windows Vista Upgrade planning'
• Microsoft — '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'
• Windows Communities — 'Windows Vista Newsgroups'

Reviews and screenshots

• Paul Thurrott's SuperSite for Windows — 'Windows Vista Activity Center'
• BentUser — 'Windows XP and Vista b5270 Side-by-Side'
• Microsoft — 'Windows Vista Virtual Pressroom'
• MSNBC — 'Early look at Windows Vista shows promise (review by Matthew ðFordahl for the Associated Press)'
• PC Magazine: Hands On with Windows Vista Beta 1, Build 5231, Build 5270, and Build 5308.
• WinVista Beta — 'Windows Vista Screenshot Gallery'
• PC World Review — 'Vista comes into view'
• 1-800-Vista — 'July CTP Build 5472 gallery on the Windows Vista (TM) community site'

Criticism

• CNET — 'Hollywood, Microsoft align on new Windows'
• Technology Review — 'Will Windows Upgrade Hand Power To Big Media?'
• PC Stats — 'Windows Vista, HDCP and Digital Rights Management'
• Yahoo News — 'Ten Reasons to Buy Windows Vista (and "five things that will give you pause")'
• Paul Thurrott — 'Where Vista Fails'

Communities and blogs

• channel9.msdn.com — 'All the Vista videos on Channel9'
• LonghornBlogs.com — 'Non-corporate, community-based initiative of Microsoft's next version of Windows'
• NVIDIA's Windows Vista Podcast — 'The latest news and information on Windows Vista Capable GPUs'
• Australian Media Center Community — 'Vista MCE & MCE 2005 Community Website'
• AeroXperience — 'Windows Vista developers community which focuses on .net 3.0 and Windows Sidebar development, among other things.'
• WinVistaSecrets.com — 'Windows Vista Online community'
• Iexbeta.com — 'Software Compatibility list wiki and links to sites with old longhorn leaks'
• thehotfix.net — 'News on Vista and links to places to download new builds of vista'
• Tech 2 Blog — 'Microsoft Challenges Hackers On Vista'
• Start64! - Start on 64 — 'Information about Windows Vista x64'