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Chapter 1

What Is Windows Vista?

In This Chapter

 Getting to know Windows Vista

 Introducing the new features in Windows Vista

 Understanding how Windows Vista affects your old programs

 Figuring out whether your PC is powerful enough to run Windows Vista

 Knowing which version of Windows Vista you need

hances are, you’ve probably heard about Windows: the boxes and win-

dows and mouse pointer that greet you whenever you turn on your

computer. In fact, millions of people all over the world are puzzling over it

as you read this book. Almost every new computer sold today comes with a

copy of Windows preinstalled — cheerfully greeting you when first turned on.

This chapter helps you understand why Windows lives inside your computer

and introduces Microsoft’s latest Windows version, called

Windows Vista.

It explains how Windows Vista differs from previous Windows versions,

whether you should upgrade to Vista, and how well your faithful old PC will

weather the upgrade.

What Is Windows Vista, and

Why Are You Using It?

Created and sold by a company called Microsoft, Windows isn’t like your

usual software that lets you write term papers or send angry e-mails to mail-

order companies. No, Windows is an

operating system, meaning it controls the

way you work with your computer. It’s been around for more than 20 years,

and the latest whiz-bang version is called

Windows Vista.

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Summary of content (12 pages)

PAGE 1
Chapter 1 AL What Is Windows Vista? In This Chapter RI Getting to know Windows Vista Introducing the new features in Windows Vista TE Understanding how Windows Vista affects your old programs Figuring out whether your PC is powerful enough to run Windows Vista MA Knowing which version of Windows Vista you need D C GH TE hances are, you’ve probably heard about Windows: the boxes and windows and mouse pointer that greet you whenever you turn on your computer.
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10 Part I: Windows Vista Stuff Everybody Thinks You Already Know Windows gets its name from all the cute little windows it places on your monitor. Each window shows information, such as a picture, a program that you’re running, or a baffling technical reprimand. You can put several windows on-screen at the same time and jump from window to window, visiting different programs. You can also enlarge a window to fill the entire screen.
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Chapter 1: What Is Windows Vista? Yes, Microsoft is sneaky Microsoft may tout Windows as your helpful computing companion, always keeping your best interests in mind, but that’s not really true. Windows always keeps Microsoft’s interests in mind. You’ll find that out as soon as you call Microsoft for help on making Windows work right. Your first two questions are free if you pick up the long distance charges to Redmond, Washington.
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12 Part I: Windows Vista Stuff Everybody Thinks You Already Know Defender, shown in Figure 1-1, to recognize and squash the newest breeds of spyware. Figure 1-1: Windows Vista comes with Windows Defender, a free spyware eradicator that Microsoft automatically updates to recognize the latest breeds of spyware. The other parts of Vista’s security regime aren’t as simple, unfortunately.
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Chapter 1: What Is Windows Vista? Tabbed browsing: In the past, keeping two Web sites open on-screen meant running two copies of Internet Explorer. With Vista, Internet Explorer displays several Web sites simultaneously, each running in a separate page with a clickable tab at the top for easy switching. That tab makes it easier to compare prices from several different shopping sites, for example, or read one Web site while others load in the background.
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14 Part I: Windows Vista Stuff Everybody Thinks You Already Know New Media Player and Media Center Vista’s new version of Media Player sports streamlined, easier-to-use controls. The big star, however, is Vista’s Media Center, which not only plays DVDs and music but lets you watch TV on your PC and even record shows onto your hard drive for later viewing. Recording TV shows requires two important things, however: a TV tuner in your PC and the proper version of Vista.
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Chapter 1: What Is Windows Vista? Figure 1-3: The built-in Calendar program in Vista tracks your tasks and appointments, as well as synchronizes your calendar with others to coordinate meetings. Instead of sending you on a constant search for your files, Vista automatically remembers your files’ locations. For example, search for every document mentioning “Celery,” and Vista instantly lists those files’ names, ready for opening with a double-click.
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16 Part I: Windows Vista Stuff Everybody Thinks You Already Know Figure 1-4: To see a 3D view of your currently open windows, press Tab while holding down the Windows key. Press Tab or spin your mouse’s scroll wheel to flip through the windows and then let go of the Windows key when your window is on top.
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Chapter 1: What Is Windows Vista? Memory: Vista loves memory. For best results, your PC should have 1GB of memory or more. Memory’s easy to install and relatively cheap, so don’t skimp here. DVD drive: Unlike Windows XP, which comes on a CD, Windows Vista comes on a DVD. That means your PC needs a working DVD drive to install it. That probably won’t rule out many PCs these days, but it may rule out some older laptops. Windows Vista should be able to run most of your current programs without problems.
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18 Part I: Windows Vista Stuff Everybody Thinks You Already Know These steps not only bring back the look of previous Windows versions, but speed up an older PC that’s struggling to keep up with Vista’s fancy layers of graphics. The Five Flavors of Vista XP Windows XP came in two easy-to-understand versions: One for home, and one for business. Microsoft confuses things in Vista by splitting it into five different versions, each with a different price tag.
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Chapter 1: What Is Windows Vista? Although five versions may seem complicated, choosing the one you need isn’t that difficult. And because Microsoft stuffed all the versions on your Vista DVD, you can upgrade at any time simply by whipping out the credit card and unlocking the features in a different version.
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20 Part I: Windows Vista Stuff Everybody Thinks You Already Know (continued) Service Pack 1 is installed.