Story Created:
Jan 30, 2007 at 7:45 PM MDT
Story Updated:
Feb 6, 2007 at 5:48 PM MDT
Tuesday, January 30, 2007 - Windows Vista is being hailed as the most secure operating system Microsoft has ever produced. One with lots of new features including extensive parental controls.
"(Parents will) be able to say when the kids can log on," says Microsoft's Greg Sullivan. "They can say what programs (children) can run, what games they can play depending on the rating, what sites they can visit, who they can IM or chat."
But unless you're ready to buy a new desktop or laptop computer with Vista pre-installed, there are some things you need to consider before you upgrade.
First, is your computer ready? Microsoft offers a free software download that will scan your computer and tell you if memory-hungry Vista will work. Find it at http://www.microsoft.com/
It does require one gigabyte of memory on your computer," says Jose Romero, a member of the Geek Squad at the Best Buy store in west El Paso. "You also need to have 64 megabytes of memory on your video card in order for Vista to work properly."
Second, there are and have been warnings about Vista and whether it is compatible with certain kinds of software. How does this affect you? Some of the everyday programs you rely on, including virus protection software, may not work on your PC if it is equipped with Vista. Unless you can get an upgrade, or in some cases buy entirely new software.
Finally, how much are you willing to spend on Vista? Microsoft has four, yes four different versions on the market. If you just surf the Internet and email family and friends, Vista Home Basic should work. Vista Home Premium is recommended for desktop computers with lots of memory and processing power. It has Windows Media Center to help you better enjoy music, movies, photos and TV. There's the business version of Vista that most small to medium size companies can use. At the top of the list is Vista Ultimate, which combines features in the business version with features found in Vista Home Premium. Depending on whether you're simply upgrading from Windows XP, or you're loading the full version of Vista, you could spend anywhere from $100 to $400.
Like any new software, you may want to wait a couple of months to let Microsoft work out any other bugs from Vista. Or if you're happy using Windows XP and your computer is running just fine, then wait until it is time to buy a new computer that comes loaded with Vista.
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