For some time Microsoft has been dancing around the topic of the actual system specs you'll need to run Windows Vista in all of its graphical glory. Today that changed with the company's launch of a new website dedicated to explaining what you need to have a "Vista-capable PC" and a "Vista Premium-Ready PC."
One of the major differences between the two is the ability to run the high-end version of the OS, which includes features like the Aero interface. Microsoft unveiled the different flavors of Vista back in February. Basically, if you can't run Aero you're stuck with the entry-level versions of the OS with XP-era graphics.
The new site lists the basic specs as a modern processor (at least 800 MHz), 512MB of system memory, and a Direct X 9-capable graphics processor. To be "Premium Ready" a PC needs a 1-GHz processor, 1GB of system memory, a GPU with 128MB of memory (plus a few other qualifications), a 40GB hard drive with 15GBs free, a DVD-ROM drive, audio output support, and Internet access.
The site also offers the Windows Vista Upgrade Advisor Beta. You download the app, run it on your system, and it will generate a report that tells you if your PC is up to snuff. And if it's not, it tells you how to upgrade your PC to make it ready.
So, will your current PC make the Vista cut?
800GHZ processor required? WOW, looks like Microsoft can delay their launch until 2050.
It's Vistastic!
My 3 year old system passed for Windows Vista Ultimate
800 GHz?!! You gotta be kidding me!
As usual microsoft can't stop BSing...
Guys, its 800MHz...
That site is utterly broken on Firefox.
Clueless idiots, as usual.
don't flip out about 800 ghz, you know its a typo. At a system builder show I got the newest beta of vista and it looks to be very solid. The aero features, and the resize abilities are really awesome.
That site is unreadable.
Nxt Revolution..!
No need. I switched to a Mac and haven't looked back since.
I checked out the Vista site. Everything they're talking about as "coming soon" is "already here" in my home.
The site is totally broken in Safari as well. Nice job Microsoft!
Ooops, sorry about the GHz typo--corrected now. I'm not having any trouble viewing the site with Firefox.
No thanks. I'll just stick with Mac OSX and boot into XP the 3-4 times a year I need to use a Windows app.
Mac's nice, yet Windows nicer, IMO. - from a user used Windows/Mac/Linux.
NO THANKS MicroKlunk
I use a real OS......Linux Suse ver 10.0
It never crashes, has better graphics than VIsta,
NO blue screen of DEATH! uses less memory,
less disk space and is 100% FREE!
Sorry Micro$haft........Nice Vaporware, but how about
NO! I hate paying the Micro$oft TAX and I refuse to
use BRAIN DEAD expensive garbage software apps that are highly insecure.
Linux only user here.
Robo
HEADS UP WinDoZe Users!
Beware that M$ Vista (AKA the LongHorn rewrite debacle) is nothing but ancient 1980's MS DOS flawed technology. That's why the hardware requirements are so ridiculously high to use their new ripped off graphics.
Vista uses the same crappy file system as WinDoZe 95 (AKA Win 4.0 for those of you who remember that amazingly late release debacle)
Same file system as MS DOS 1.0
Same file system as WinDoZe ME (Clearly the worst OS ever!)
and all other MicroKskunk, junk operating systems.
Save yourself from viruses, spyware and all other Micro$oft WinDoZe plagues.
Switch to a free Linux OS or at least MAC OSX (Which is Linux FreeBSD)
I was surprised to find that my nVidia GeForce 6100 integrated graphics could run Aero.
looks like mmicrosoft takes the "most overdone website of the year award"
Posted by Anonymous on Thursday, May 18, 2006, 03:06 PM (PST)
"I was surprised to find that my nVidia GeForce 6100 integrated graphics could run Aero."
Me Too. But how well will it run.....
Sorry Robo but I have to defend Microsoft from you!!!
Go use your Linux or Mac and leave the Windows world.
Anyone who offends Microsoft deserves to know nothing about computers and should leave the IT Industry.
Oh, and everyone, one more thing for a favor:
Enough of the tribal/cultural behavior. You have no respect for Windows tribe/culture? Then leave and return to your Linux/Mac tribe/culture.
I just got a feeling that Mac/Linux users are building a world of culture of their own and seems to show less respect for Windows users and Microsoft.
Tell me Grayson Peddie why do you have to defend MicroKlunk?
Do you work for those Criminals?
Robo
Why show respect for M$ JUNK dated back to 1980?
What you didn't know is that Vista is just the same file system as DOS? WAKE UP! It'sa rip off!
It is you who should leave the IT industry due to your ignorance.
Though if you ever wake up and smell the coffee you'll quit using WinDoze. Or are you addicted to viruses, spyware and freeze ups and did I mention expensive brain dead software?
DUMP THE KLUNK!
Robo
Um, bsod? Does xp pro EVER blue screen anymore? Only times I've ver seen it is when *I* had soemthing screwed up (card not plugged in whole way, memory needed reeseating, bios settings wrong or a driver problem). XP is solid as a rock, and I push it pretty hard.
Same filing system as DOS 1.0? WTF? What Macintrash web site you read that on?
Sure, mac, linux, os/2 and all those are cool os's for hobbyist, but get real. The real world is microsoft. The only time you see an office setting with a mac in it, is on tv. Have you EVER been to a doctor's office, lawyer, denist, car shop, IT department, best buy, circuit city, wallyworld, library, seti station, cubical or anything else that didn't have Windows running?
If you are having props vewing the page use a MS compatable internet broser!!
Give it a rest Robo. Clearly Microsoft software has issues, but there's no need to try and offend people who use it.
And I'd like to know where your information about the file system has come from. From what I can gather, Vista will use NTFS, which began development in the late 1980's, but was never used in DOS.
Well I have to agree that the site looks no different, it seems, on either Firefox or IE6. Which was quite surprising at first, until I remembered the "Standards Compliancy" drive that MS are supposed to be going all out for now, with the "revamped" homepage source code, etc...
Speaking of source code – no flavour of XHTML is in use on this page (hurray! I'm sick of everyone jumping on the bandwagon when XML is completely unnecessary – there are times when it seems beneficial, true; but for the majority of sites, what's wrong with a good, simple, clean-cut HTML 4.01 rendition?); hell there isn't even a DTD. Although, having ranted rather overtly about people who use XHTML all the time, at least they use a doctype declaration when they do so – it's just that I think HTML 4.01 Strict is perfectly fine for the vast majority of websites.
The source code is rather ugly, though. The lack of readability is obviously intended to deter reverse engineering, or something... Which is pretty ridiculous, given how laughably easy it is to work around. I never used to care about “nice formatting” of code, but I think I've been somewhat converted now – although I still refuse to put so many needless tab indents into my HTML. I save them for “proper” programming languages, ahem.
And did anyone else notice the rather humorous, if rather admirable, provision for the archaic Netscape LAYER tag, of all things? That made me look twice, at least. XD
Starting to look a lot like the Mac OS, huh?
Hehehe, Linux, Mac, Solaris, Windows, who cares? (Note, I have no preferences, and these are just in the order of their ascii code of their first letter :)
Whatever gets the job done in less time is
the best.
Computer rasism always makes me laugh.
People get passionate about their devices like it would matter... weird
za-k
Why switch from W2K?
Why switch from 98SE? We're doing 3D human animation wtih Poser on this machine. It ain't the OS, folks, it's the mind running it.
OK, now, chant this matra over and over until mindlessness results:
I MUST upgrade my hardware;
I MUST upgrade my software!"
Vista, Shista; I've saved enough to tour the world around by avoiding this upgrade propaganda. If the system does what you want it to, it's not obsolete. If it doesn't do what you want it to, it is.
Period.
Who cares for Windozze when we have Linux!
When has Microsoft EVER produced a secure operating system? And when have they ever produce a product that wasn't designed to milk the user's wallet? When have they ever sold software that wasn't designed to make the user olny able to run and be compatable with ONLY other Microsoft products? The answer to all of the above is NEVER. I am quite certain Microsoft's newest fly trap, "Vista", will be more of the same. Of course, as long as the sheep keep buying it, they will keep selling it.
Anyone who calls an operating system a "file system" and alternates caps like that needs to rethink their presentation before making baseless claims.
Unless you're referring to the actual file system? Doubt it.
Anyway, from an objective viewpoint I can justify this upgrade to myself. Dx10 and the new network stack are really enough for me to consider it. For others, who knows? There's really no reason to upgrade immediately unless you really want to.
I'm using firefox 1.5.0.3 and the page loads fine I think...
Could you all please stop disinformating the readers guys. Everything you everyone said here is senseless...
Christ I always thought that PC World was the IT equivelent of the Sun/National Enquirer and having just read some of the semi-literate garbage written here just confirms it to me.. If you guys are representative of the level of education being churned out nowadays then god help us all.
Then there is the acutal intellectual level of the conversation which is just managing 5 year old playground with the odd dip to the gutter.
It looks like they are touting a bunch of new 'innovations' that other people came up with.
the 3D windows are borrowed from Sun's idea for 'Looking Glass'
after 5 years of not releasing a web browser they're borrowing the quick search box and tabs of Firefox/Mozilla
they borrow the quick document preview capabilities for icons, etc, from various predecessors including Gnome
can anyone point out a single innovation that they actually created on their own ? not that it matters, if it is actually stable it should be lots of fun for non-techy types... I think programmers and techs will generally prefer a more robust (technically) operating system
chill. currently, whats found in vista is all on my mac.
I think Linux will never beat windows.
Although some aspects of linux beat windows by far but majority aspects have not been even touched by linux.
ie. USB is a pain ..firewire is a pain.. setting a printer is even a pain.. wireless network card almost impossible. dual monitor config is a bit troublesome, these are just few and all of them work beautifully with no hassles under windows.
Again I think quality comes with price and microsoft pays to people who engineer its products. Linux is good but again its developers are not really enthusiastic enof to get out the good product..
I am a linux user myself and keep on hopping between windows n linux cuz there are just so many thingz i wud want to do but cannot do under *nix so have to boot to windows..
Letz C whats vista got in store..looks pretty neat..
I run WinXP all the time. One day, I decided to run Linux. After completely failing to set up my wireless network and having to Google search Linux user forums for a few hours, ultimately finding that I need to untar such-and-such 3rd party drivers and follow about 15 pages of instructions on running shell commands just to install it. Plus none of my peripherals work out of the box.
No thanks. Windows works great for what I need it to. It works on the fly. There is no need to attend my local college and take a course just to know how to work the files/install programs. I've never had it crash on me, haven't had a virus in about 7 years and spyware is never a problem.
Although it has good security, Linux has got a long way to go to win the hearts of average users. Mac has to break the "Pay me an extra markup because I'm so different" mold. Obviously MS is doing something right, otherwise they wouldn't have the marketshare that they have had over the last 12 years.
So back on subject... Vista looks good and should run very nicely.
i thinkits a amzing software and the people who wrote bad things about it your idiots :) i cant wai for it to hit the market and neitehr can my frends thank you microsoft and aple is gay
i thinkits a amzing software and the people who wrote bad things about it your idiots :) i cant wai for it to hit the market and neitehr can my frends thank you microsoft and aple is gay
I'm testing Vista Beta2 and I have a "warm & fuzzy" feeling we're gonna like it on our 10,000 plus PCs. You will, too!...
Anybody who says "Windoze" or "Micro$oft" should stop taking their anger out at Microsoft. God is the one that didn't give you all of your chromosomes, not Microsoft.
As the the "OMG, they are using technology thats already in ". Yeah...and? Are you suggesting that MS not include technologies that improve on part of their OS? Should they not include tabs in Internet Explorer just because Firefox has them?
Almost everyone on here needs to get a life and read more before they talk.
I use windows at home most of the time not because i necessarily want to but because it has over 90% market share.
I am experienced in Linux but i dont use it as my primary because i live in a world where everyone else uses Windows. The only time i really use linux is for work when i need to set up a stable server. Otherwise, it's just isolating to use linux.
The fact is, we're trapped in the world of microsoft.
Almost everyone on here needs to get a life and read more before they talk.
I use windows at home most of the time not because i necessarily want to but because it has over 90% market share.
I am very experienced in Linux but i dont use it as my primary OS because i live in a world where everyone else uses Windows. The only time i really use linux is for work when i need to set up a stable server. Otherwise, it's just isolating to use linux.
The fact is, we're trapped in the world of Microsoft and it's too late to change that now. Mac had it's chance in the 80's and never took off like Windows did.
Did any of the "Moaners "go to any of the Desktop Seminars that Microsoft invited all IT Techs to attend. The presentation was very informative and they fully explained the new features of Vista and Office 2007.The only drawback I see is there is not enough hardware Mfger writting drivers for low-end endusers hardware like Lexmark Deskjet Photo Printers P910 & P510 to give 2 examples of.
i have a craced version of poser 5.....it ran fine on my old xp system.....but don't seem to want to run on the vista.....any thoughts or help would be greatly appreciated