On 30 November 2006, Microsoft officially launched Windows Vista, Microsoft Exchange 2007 and the Office 2007, it's new operating system to replace Windows XP. Although it is 2 years late and its consumer launch misses Christmas, analysts agree the new version should be a big success. Windows currently runs on 9 out of 10 of the world's PCs so it is likely to be scrutinised to death in the coming months.
Some of the features to look out for in Vista are:
- Increased reliability and security
- Integration of Microsoft's media centre into the main operating system
- Integration of desktop search, which will make it much easier for users to find both applications and files
- Communications feature - VoIP (voice-over IP_, email, video-conferencing and IM (instant messaging) will be consolidated into a single communications facility....I think - please correct me if I'm wrong!
On the down-side, Windows 2000 cannot be upgraded to Vista. Windows Vista must be "clean installed," which means users will need to back up their files and data manually and then copy everything into place. Applications will also need to be re-installed. Microsoft is providing a beta of its Upgrade Advisor tool that will evaluate whether a PC is ready to run Windows Vista.
Technology analysts and consultants, Gartner believe Vista will be the last major release of Windows in its current form. 'User demands, Microsoft's business needs and technology changes will move future versions toward a more modular architecture. The trend of bundling even more functionality is set to reverse.'
Like it or not (and from reading other peoples blogs, it seems that 'not' is the preferred route) Vista is not something that can be ignored, and every organization is going to have to come up with a policy for Vista deployments pretty soon. If you ask me, it'll definitely be worth browsing some geeky blogs for Vista opinions in the coming months.
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