A New OS: Will You Be Able to Use
Windows Vista™ on Your CPU?
Contributed by Jay Schroyer
The internet is abuzz with talk of Windows Vista, Microsoft's latest version of the Windows® operating system. Preliminary teasers and tester feedback is keeping consumers drooling for more with promises of improved security, a 3D eye-catching window scheme, and a greatly improved and fully integrated user interface. But the question that most people are asking is whether or not they will be able to utilize all of the great new options that Windows Vista will offer. Will your computer be capable of the demands of this new OS? Here are a few options to help you learn if Windows Vista is for your machine.
The Easy Way
In anticipation of this question, Microsoft offers a downloadable program (the Windows Vista Upgrade Advisor) on their site that will essentially scan your computer for the necessary requirements to run Windows Vista. Once the program is downloaded and runs, it will provide you with a report as to any conflicts or problems that may arise with the installation of Windows Vista or if it’s even possible for you to install it. The report also features solutions to these conflicts.
The site also recommends attaching all of your USB peripherals that you would often access with your computer. This gives us a hint at the expanded integration that Windows Vista is promising.
It’s important to note that this Windows Vista adviser program will work on Windows XP and Windows Vista, but will not work for earlier Windows OS versions (Windows 98, 2000, and XP Professional) and is another indication that this new OS is going to need a lot of high powered hardware to run.
The Hard Way
The other way you can check to see if your machine is Windows Vista capable is to compare the numbers. If you can’t find the owner’s manual for your computer, you can access the “Start” button and then the “Control Panel” and finally the “System” icon to get a quick rundown of your computers vital statistics under the “General” tab in this system properties window. These vital statistics will include your processor, processor, speed, and RAM all of which are important attributes to know when checking your system for Windows Vista capability.
A seemingly unanimous praise of the new Windows Vista OS is its graphical content that includes transparent, see-through windows that appear in 3D as well as thumbnails for folders and multimedia files that feature actual screenshots and streaming video from these files. As a result, this OS requires a lot of RAM to pull off these graphical stunts as well as a graphics card that is up to the challenge. And, of course, without a fast processor allowing all of these parts to work in tandem, the best graphics card and all the RAM in the world won't make the difference.
For the most part, your average computer will have an integrated sort of graphics card on the motherboard. This card handles graphics for all of the computers applications. Computers that are more specialized, say for heavy video game play would feature a separately installed card to handle the heavy load of high demand graphical content. If Windows Vista lives up to its reputation, there’s no doubt that your computer system would be greatly strained by not having enough resources to run just the operating system let alone a multitude of open programs.
The plan is to release a few versions of Windows Vista for various purposes much as Microsoft has done in the past with releases of Windows for the home or office. Windows Vista will feature a basic and premium home version, a business version, and an ultimate version that will be a blend of the most desirable attributes of home and business.
Depending on your computers statistics, it may be possible for you to run the basic version of Windows Vista if you want to give it a try. Here are the basic requirements: 800 MHZ or faster processor and 512 MB of RAM. Again, because of the graphical nature of Windows Vista, there may be some programs that you will have to install if you don’t already have them like DirectX which is an API (application programming interface) that is programmed specifically to handle high loads of graphical content. It is available online for download.
If you're computer can handle it, the premium version of Windows Vista will require the following: 1GHZ processor, 1 GB of RAM, 128 MB of memory specifically for graphics and a fast graphics processor, at least 40 GB of free space on the drive you install Windows Vista on, a DVD-ROM drive, and, of course, access to the internet. If your computer is relatively new, the chances are pretty good that you already have all of this stuff, but if it doesn’t, upgrading to this level might cost you more than a new computer.
If you find that you can install Windows Vista and decide to move forward with it as an operating system for your computer, there’s bound to be a learning curve. As the program is released and begins to gain ground, Windows Vista tutorials will begin to pop up and should provide information to get you comfortable with the system. If you find that you can’t utilize Windows Vista or just plain don’t want to change, you could always look into a Video Professor® Learn Windows tutorial so that you can learn to get the most out of your current operating system.
Microsoft, Windows Vista, and Windows are trademarks of Microsoft Corporation, registered in the U.S. and/or other countries.
Video Professor is a trademark of Video Professor, Inc., registered in the U.S. and/or other countries.
About the Author:
Jay Schroyer has worked in the client and customer service end of business for over five years in retail, advertising, and printing. He holds a bachelor’s and master’s degree in English writing and communication.
This article is intended for general informational purposes and does not provide legal or other professional advice. All trademarks contained herein are the property of their respective owners. Please read our disclaimer for additional terms and conditions governing access to and use of this article. |
