Daniel Pankiller

Windows Vista is the latest release of Microsoft Windows, a line of graphical operating systems used on personal computers,
including home and business desktops. Whilst introducing new concepts,
it also has features that a previous Windows user will recognise,
including a taskbar. Before its announcement on July 22, 2005, Vista was known by its codename Longhorn.^[1] On November 8, 2006, Windows Vista development was completed and released to manufacturing. Over the next two months it was released to MSDN, TechNet Plus and TechNet Direct subscribers, computer hardware and software manufacturers and volume license customers. On January 30, 2007, it was released worldwide to the general public,^[2] and is available for download from Microsoft’s web site.^[3] These release dates come more than five years after the release of its predecessor, Windows XP, making it the longest time span between two releases of Windows.

According to Microsoft,^[4] Windows Vista contains hundreds of new features; some of the most significant include an updated graphical user interface and visual style dubbed Windows Aero, improved searching features, new multimedia creation tools such as Windows DVD Maker,
and completely redesigned networking, audio, print, and display
sub-systems. Vista also aims to increase the level of communication
between machines on a home network using peer-to-peer
technology, making it easier to share files and digital media between
computers and devices. For developers, Vista introduces version 3.0 of
the .NET Framework, which aims to make it significantly easier for developers to write high-quality applications than with the traditional Windows API.

Microsoft’s primary stated objective with Vista, however, has been
to improve the state of security in the Windows operating system.^[5] One of the most common criticisms of Windows XP and its predecessors has been their commonly exploited security vulnerabilities and overall susceptibility to malware, viruses and buffer overflows. In light of this, then Microsoft chairman Bill Gates announced in early 2002 a company-wide ‘Trustworthy Computing
initiative’ which aims to incorporate security work into every aspect
of software development at the company. Microsoft claimed that it
prioritized improving the security of Windows XP and Windows Server 2003 above finishing Windows Vista, significantly delaying its completion.^[6]

During the course of its development, Vista has been the target of a number of negative assessments by various groups. Criticism of Windows Vista has included protracted development time, more restrictive licensing terms, the inclusion of a number of new Digital Rights Management technologies aimed at restricting the copying of protected digital media, and the usability of new features such as User Account Control.

Windows Vista Ultimate

This edition combines all the features of the Home Premium and Enterprise editions, a game performance tweaker (WinSAT), and "Ultimate Extras". On January 7, 2007, at CES,
Microsoft began to announce what some of these Ultimate Extras will be.
When Vista launched to consumers on January 30, Microsoft immediately
made the following Extras available for Ultimate users: "Dream Scene",
a utility that allows for full-motion video desktop backgrounds;
"Hold’Em", a Vista-customized version of the Texas Hold’Em
poker game; Multi-user interface language packs, designed to allow
individuals fluent in different languages to share the same PC;
BitLocker Online Secure Key Storage, where Ultimate customers will be
offered a secure place to store their BitLocker encryption keys in the
Online Vista Marketplace; and "Digital publications," a collection of
tips and tricks, blog links and other resources for getting the most
out of Ultimate.^[29][30]
After that, many more are expected to be announced through 2007,
including a photo editing and merging tool shown at CES called
"GroupShot". More detailed information regarding some of these extras
can be read at the Vista Ultimate website here
The Ultimate edition is aimed at high-end PC users, gamers, multimedia
professionals, and PC enthusiasts. 64-bit Ultimate supports 128 GB of
memory. Mainstream support for Ultimate ends on 4/10/2012; extended
support ends on 4/11/2017. Another upgrade variant of Windows Vista
Ultimate is the Windows Vista Ultimate Upgrade Limited Numbered
Signature Edition, a limited, numbered edition of Windows Vista
Ultimate that features Bill Gates’ signature on the front of the
packaging along with its unique number.

This entry was posted on Sunday, February 4th, 2007 at 8:22 pm and is filed under Web/Tech. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed.