Bits and Bytes: Windows Vista: To upgrade or not to upgrade!

Sunday, June 10, 2007 03:45 AM

For those that have not heard or prefer not to hear, the next generation of the Windows operating systems is here to stay. Windows Vista was officially released to the public on January 30^th, 2007. Having been around for a good 4-5 months now, I still get the regular question: “I am buying a new system, should I get Windows Vista?” The other question is: “Should I Upgrade to Windows Vista?” The answer to these questions is yes and no – Confused? You are not alone because many are.

The fundamental goal of Microsoft in regards to this new operating system is that it is supposed to be a more secure, robust and stable operating system. In the past Microsoft operating systems have been plagued by security flaws and system instability. The history of Microsoft Windows is why I have my personal motto of “As long as Microsoft ships operating systems, I will support them 100% because it guarantees me employment” Although humorous, it is true as the dark cloud over Microsoft has earned them a bad reputation. This may well change with Windows Vista BUT … With those changes, a new series of problems has been introduced.

First – Here are some of the features that are new or improved in Windows Vista:

· Windows Aero

· Windows Shell

· Instant Search

· Windows Sidebar

· Windows Media Player11

· Backup and Restore Centre

· Windows Mail

· Windows Calendar

· Windows Photo Gallery

· Windows DVD Maker

· Windows Mobility Centre

· Shadow Copy

· Parental Controls

· Speech Recognition

These are but a few of the updates and enhancements that Microsoft has put into the new operating system and from personal experience, yes – They do make for an easier end user experience. The catch is this – If you have previously used Windows XP, the learning curve is quite high. The standard locations for documents have all changed, the general browsing ability has changed – In fact, there is very little left that has not been changed from a visual perspective.

The caveats to Windows Vista include more restrictive licensing terms, technologies aimed at restricting the copying of digital media and the usability of the new user account control security technology (My personal beef – This is annoying to say the least). There are a lot of similarities between Vista and Apple’s Aqua interface for Mac OS X.

The biggest beef that I have is the hardware requirements – Just when we have all become used to lower priced computers, Vista has pushed the bar back up. The standard on-board video card will no longer suffice as you need a DirectX 9 capable device with a minimum of 128Mb Video RAM, at least 1GB RAM, minimum 15GB hard drive space for the installation of Vista and the list goes on. Please, take my advice, spend the extra $200-$400 when buying a new system and get a decent video card, get 2Gb RAM, get the 160Gb hard drive and do not go for the “Best Buy” computer – You will regret it.

Not to answer the questions: “I am buying a new system, should I get Windows Vista?” Yes, providing you do not have any devices (digital cameras, scanners, printers etc) that are older than 2-3 years as they may not work under Vista. “Should I Upgrade to Windows Vista?” No – Not unless you have a very fast, efficient system because you can expect at least a 20% decrease in performance. If you do decide to upgrade – DO NOT upgrade any previous versions of Windows – Format your drive and start from scratch. For business users – Do not even consider Vista as part of the equation yet – It is not worth the expense that it will have on your business, at least not yet. Service Pack 1 is scheduled for release later this year; my caution would be to wait for it to be released.

Steve Staves is the owner of Premier Computer Care Inc. You can reach him at www.pc-care.ca or by phone 250-562-2273 for more information on Windows Vista.

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Posted on Sunday, June 10, 2007 03:45 AM in Technology by Steve Staves

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Comments

Posted by: cyanna on June 10 2007 7:07 AM

Well written article. The only part I don't quite agree with is the one about the performance hit: if the PC is truly Vista capable, except for games, everything else runs as fast as on XP, at least since RTM.
Most of the people I provide IT advice for will not have the option of waiting for SP1 and/or for the ISVs and hardware manufacturers to catch up with Vista. So another question, at least for home users, is "Which edition (Basic, Premium, Business or Ultimate) and which flavour (upgrade, OEM or retail). 12 possible combinations.... Most often I will recommend a Premium upgrade (reasoning detailed in http://vista-how-to.blogspot.com/2007/05/case-against-vista-ultimate-and.html,
but not always. So if you can't wait, make sure you choose the right edition in addition to the right hardware.

Posted by: Steve Staves on June 10 2007 8:21 AM

Thank you for the input - I also recommend the Premium upgrade. My point around the 20% hit on performance is IF you have a system, upgrade that exact system to Vista - You will get the hit. Despite predictions, guarantees etc, Vista is slow. However if you turn off all the graphical features, remove IPv6, steamline it a bit - Then you will get a well bahaving system.

Windows Vista Home Basic
Up first in the Vista order is Home Basic. Home Basic, while it will get the job done on a very limited basis, is lacking some major upgrades that appear in the next step up, Home Premium. It's hard to make a compelling case for Home Basic under any conditions other than being at the topmost limit of a budget. Home Basic can't support more than a single processor. The 32-bit version supports up to 4 GB of RAM, while the 64-bit version doubles that amount. It lacks Windows Media Center, Windows Movie Maker and the Encrypting File System among other omissions. Perhaps the most puzzling aspect is that it doesn't have the Aero interface at all.

Windows Vista Home Premium.
Home Premium adds substantially upgraded functionality over Home Basic. It supports two processors and adds the multimedia features absent from Home Basic, along with the ability to do scheduled backups. It�s also better for laptops, with Windows Mobility Center and Tablet PC support built in.

Neither of the Home versions can join a domain, the same limitation found in Windows XP Home.

Windows Vista Business.
The Business edition is the entry-level offering for corporations, but it packs a punch. It�s significantly easier to deploy, given that the installation images are now hardware-independent. Once installed, it�s also the most secure desktop OS Microsoft has ever released. Most important is User Account Control, which gives users lower-level access than previously. It�s the same principle that contributes to the security of the Apple Macintosh. Added to that are Network Access Protection, making sure a computer joining a network meets security standards, and Windows Service Hardening, which prevents an attacker from mucking around in, among other places, the Registry. Vista Business can support up to two processors and 4 GB of RAM in its 32-bit version, and supports up to 128 GB in its 64-bit incarnation. These standards are the same for Vista Enterprise and Vista Ultimate.

Windows Vista Enterprise.
The key differentiator between Business and Enterprise is Windows BitLocker Full Drive Encryption. BitLocker enhances security by encrypting an entire hard drive, rather than just selected files or folders. It�s a welcome technology in these days of HIPAA, Sarbanes-Oxley and seemingly weekly reports of laptops with sensitive or top-secret information being lost or stolen. Enterprise is only available through a volume license.

Windows Vista Ultimate.
Ultimate aims for the user who wants it all � all the business functionality and security, and all the media goodies and fun stuff. It includes everything in both the home and business versions of Vista. The question for your enterprise is, Is it too much? Do your users need to author DVDs on the same machine that holds your crucial CRM app?

Posted by: Chug on June 10 2007 5:08 PM

YUO GUYS DONT KNOW JACK SHIT ABOUT WINDOWS!

Posted by: netsurfer on June 10 2007 10:07 PM

Hey Chuggy why don't you tell us all you know about windows or is the above post the full extent of your knowledge.

Posted by: Steve Staves on June 10 2007 11:20 PM

Hi Chug - I have been dealing with Windows for 16 years now, not just as a hobby but as a profession. I have likely spent more hours working with Windows, writing about, presenting, reading on etc than many so I can safely say that I know quite a bit about it.

In all honesty, myself and others give our "Opinions" solely for the benefit of people that might be gain something from what we freely share. There is no need for personal slaner and/or profanity on the topic - In spite of the challenges that Windows gives.

Your opinion, thoughts etc are more than welcome - Please do feel free to tell us why we don;t know anything about Windows? Do you disagree witht he comments made?

Posted by: bohemian on June 11 2007 12:51 AM

I'm allergic to Microsoft, especially Vista. If I had to live in (Windows) Hell, I'd opt for XP for sure. (Writing this on my Mac, of course.) Failing the option for a Mac, I'd go with Ubunto Linux or FreeBSD.