VISTA

Microsoft’s latest operating system is called Vista and it has a lot of better features.

The majority of new notebooks (laptops) now come pre-installed with a version of Vista.

Computers & Data also build new desktops and towers with Vista Business installed, unless the client prefers to stay with Windows XP Professional.

With existing computers, the most common question we are asked is: Should I upgrade today?

When Windows XP was released, a lot of applications that ran successfully under Windows 2000 and 98, had few problems running on the newer operating system.

However, Vista is not just an upgraded version of Windows XP.

The story is very different with Vista. There are many application which install or run happily under Windows XP, that either don't install properly or don't work completely under Windows Vista. This means that most third-party software companies need to spend time working through the product and advising their clients whether their existing software is Vista-compatible.

Although the latest service packs have improved compatability issues, users should not install Microsoft Vista with an immediate expectation that the software will run perfectly.

You should also be aware that there are four versions of Vista:

• Two versions “designed” for home use – Vista Home Basic and Vista Home Premium
• Two versions “business-oriented” – Vista Business and Vista Ultimate

Business is the minimum version that you should consider in a work environment.

Hardware:

There is another important aspect to consider before installing or upgrading with Windows Vista. A lot of older computer hardware is not adequate for the successful use of Vista.

In short, if the target computer doesn't have a dual core processor and at least 1GB RAM (2GB RAM is even better), it is probably a waste of time installing Vista even if all the third-party software is compatible.

So, it is very important to check your hardware before deciding whether or not to install Vista.

Summary:

While there are many more things that you should probably know about Vista, we’ll leave you with just one more to think about.

Let's say you've eagerly and enthusiastically installed Vista and then found that you either don't like it or that some software doesn't work any more. Well, you've now got an unfortunate problem.

To go back to Windows XP, you cannot simply install Windows XP over the top of your Windows Vista system. Instead, you will need to reformat your computer, and go through the painful process of re-installing all of your software after backing up all of your current files.

In summary, don't rush to install Vista, without making sure that your existing programs and equipment are compatible, or at least capable of being updated to run with Vista using the latest drivers.

Any updates to this advice will go up on our website so please keep checking it for the latest information.