There’s no compelling reason for the average home PC user to rush out and buy the Windows Vista operating system when it goes on sale Tuesday.
That’s the message from computer experts who have been testing Microsoft’s latest operating system for more than a year.
“I would say hold off and wait until you’re ready to buy a new computer,” said Brandon Hamilton, chief executive of the Rocky Mountain Tech Team, an information-technology company in Boulder. “It’s a resource hog.”
Windows Vista is the latest operating system available from Microsoft since the release of Windows XP in October 2001. While a Vista system was released for businesses late last year, home users will be able to purchase one of four versions of Vista.
Before purchasing Vista, consumers are advised to check if their current PCs and laptops meet the minimum system requirements for the graphic-intensive operating system. Head to Microsoft’s Windows Update Advisor () to download a program to see if your current machine can handle Vista. Keep in mind that the adviser only works for those running Windows XP.
In order to run the most basic version of Vista – Home Basic – Microsoft recommends a PC or laptop with at least an 800 megahertz processor, 512 megabytes of RAM (random access memory), at least 15 gigabytes of hard-drive space, and a graphics processor that is capable of running the video accelerator DirectX 9.
But those who have run beta versions of Vista recommend a faster central and graphics processor and at least 1 gigabyte of RAM for even the basic version of Vista. To take advantage of Vista’s graphic- intensive features in the Home Premium and Ultimate editions – which use DirectX 10 – Dan Kelley, service manager for Action Computers in Denver, recommends a 128-megabit or higher graphics processor. Those graphics cards are typically found on high-end desktops designed to handle intense video games and big, powerful laptops that replace those desktops.
Consumers may face difficulties when trying to upgrade components to meet Vista requirements, as it’s nearly impossible to upgrade a graphics card on a laptop and desktop upgrades start at $200, Hamilton said.
In recent months, retailers have been selling computers with stickers that tell customers whether the computer is capable of running Vista.
“A vast majority of people will need new machines,” he said. “Machines that are fine right now become less fine when you put Vista on.”
Consumers who do upgrade to Vista will immediately notice a new look and feel when navigating around the desktop and in folders, although most of the major changes have to do with the internal coding of the system, Kelley said.
“The under-the-hood part is totally different. They’ve changed the underlying base,” he said. “The user interface is designed to look a lot like XP.”
The desktop interface of Vista has been given a face-lift, with new, sleek icons and windows. Instead of the word “Start” to designate the start menu, there’s simply a Windows icon. Click on it and a search bar appears, along with a familiar start menu. One of the best features of Vista Home Premium, Business and Ultimate editions is Aero, which offers Flip 3D, a three-dimensional view of all open items on the desktop and transparent, glasslike windows.
However, the 128-megabyte graphics card is needed to use Aero, even if you have a higher-end edition of Vista.
“The biggest advantage of Vista is a fresher, more interesting look and feel,” said Christopher Null, a writer and tech expert who runs a daily blog on Yahoo Tech, part of the Yahoo portal devoted to technology.
“We’re talking about bells and whistles … and Vista does a great job of that. They don’t have much to do with how productive you are,” he said.
Null said that Microsoft has addressed years of criticism about poor security controls with enhanced security features on Vista, although it’s recommended that users still install usual anti- virus and firewall programs.
“It’s a way to prevent malware popping up,” Null said, “although it hasn’t been tested or open to hackers.”
While users won’t see most of the additional security features because they’re internal, one thing they will encounter is Vista’s User Account Control. Pop in a DVD, or try to download a program, and Vista will stop whatever it’s doing and wait for user approval before performing a function that originates from an outside source.
“User Account Control helps stop unauthorized changes to your computer,” states the text at the bottom of the popup window.
Turning that feature off requires users to use advanced features to manipulate the code, Hamilton said. The Denver Post tested Vista Ultimate last week on a laptop supplied by Action Computers. With only a 32MB graphics card, we were unable to use the Areo features. Navigating the desktop took awhile to get accustomed to, such as finding the place to change settings for wireless access.
“I think this is where people are going to be turned off by Vista. It will be difficult to do simple things they’ve mastered a long time with XP,” said Null. “You’ll eventually get down to what you want to do. The actual process of getting to those menus is much different.”
But we were impressed by the crisp, smooth user interface, which makes navigating much more enjoyable. The search function returns results instantly and accurately.
However, we were unable to install and play certain video games, such as “Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King,” “NBA Live 2004” and “Sid Meier’s Civilization IV.” However, we were able to play “The Sims.” A demonstration marketing DVD also failed to work.
These are fixes that must be worked out, experts say, pointing out that users will have to update drivers on peripherals such as printers. Null said the DirectX 10 upgrade in Vista has excited gamemakers developing more realistic graphics.
Overall, Vista is nice and fun to use. But with the additional hardware requirements and an upgrade price of $99.95 for the basic edition, it’s best to wait until all the bugs are worked out, or until you need a new machine.
“I would not upgrade my parents’ right now,” Hamilton said, referring to his mother’s current operating system. “For the really advanced user, go ahead and upgrade. But there’s not a huge compelling issue to be the first in line to get it installed.”
Staff writer Kimberly S. Johnson can be reached at 303-954-1088 or kjohnson@denverpost.com.
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