Windows Vista is Microsoft’s new magnum opus in terms of operating systems.Unlike its previous systems, Vista is based on an all new platform.Windows 95, 98 and even Windows Millennium were based on the age-old MS-DOS platform whereas Windows NT from version 3.1 has been based on the NT “kernel.”Even Microsoft’s Windows Server 2003 is based on this kernel, spanning back to the early 90s.With this new platform, Microsoft hopes to answer those critics who say Windows has fallen behind in terms of functionality, style and security.
Appearance
Windows Vista will feature a much improved graphical interface called Aero.Aero will come in several flavors, depending on the hardware its running on.Aero To Go will be for laptops and other lower-end devices with less graphical power.Users wishing to have more of the graphical flash will need to move on up to Aero Glass or Aero Express, which in turn requires better graphical hardware.Little of Aero has been demonstrated to the public by Microsoft, but they say the changes in the interface are more than superficial.
A classic visual mode similar to that of Windows XP or 2000 will also be offered for corporate environments or for users who do not wish to tie up their hardware resources for Aero.This is a good option in case Aero turns out to be more superficial than Microsoft would like us to believe.
Virtual Folders
Windows Vista will come with a new search and cataloging tool that is similar to Mac OS X’s Spotlight tool.Vista’s virtual folders are in fact lists of similar files on your system.For example, if you save a search with the terms “inventory”, Vista will pull all files on your system which has that term within.You can, of course, specify which type of file you wish to search for to eliminate some of the duds which are inevitable in automated searches.Microsoft’s new search tools are a clear response to Apple’s tools, as well as third party tools for Windows such as Google’s Desktop Search, now in its second version.
