| Vista, the new operating system from | | | | basic operating system usability; suitable |
| Microsoft, is being marketed as a revolution | | | | for average home users; will sell for $200 |
| for the personal computer. All the enticing | | | | for new PCs, and $100 as an upgrade for those |
| benefits the new system offers have spurred | | | | with existing Windows license |
| lots of people to download Vista Windows. If | | | | |
| you're contemplating upgrading your | | | | · Windows Vista Home Premium - offers more |
| XP-running PC, here are some factors you need | | | | functionality than previous Vista Home Basic |
| to address first. | | | | version; best choice for most PC users; |
| | | | features Aero and Media Center interface, DVD |
| 1. Check your PC. | | | | Maker, Movie Maker HD, backup scheduler, |
| | | | SideShow that allows use of auxiliary |
| Before you download Vista Windows, check your | | | | displays, comes with a Sync Center to |
| computer if it's ready for upgrades. To do | | | | synchronize files with other PCs over a home |
| this, you need to download and run the | | | | network, and parental controls; premium costs |
| Windows Upgrade Advisor tool. This will | | | | $240 for new computers and P160 as an upgrade |
| assess your computer and give you a list of | | | | if you have an existing Windows XP Home |
| the Vista versions that are compatible with | | | | license |
| your unit. To be able to download Vista | | | | |
| Windows, your computer must have at least | | | | · Windows Vista Business - useful for |
| 800MHz. Premium-ready PCs need at least 1GHz. | | | | standard business needs; comparable to |
| | | | Windows XP Professional; will be a staple on |
| 2. Make sure you have enough memory and hard | | | | the corporate desktop. |
| drive space. | | | | |
| | | | · Windows Vista Enterprise - has advanced |
| Another thing to note before you download | | | | features like BitLocker Drive Encryption for |
| Vista Windows your PC must have at least 512 | | | | laptops, application compatibility tools, and |
| MB of RAM. The minimum requirement for a | | | | multi-language support |
| premium-ready PC is 1 GB of system RAM. Plus, | | | | |
| to be able to download Vista Windows, your | | | | · Windows Vista Ultimate - has all the |
| hard drive size and free space must be no | | | | features of Vista Home Premium; features |
| less than 40 GB and 15 GB, respectively. | | | | support for dual CPUs (multi-core are |
| | | | supported in lower versions), remote desktop |
| 3. Determine graphics adapter capability. | | | | host, file encryption (with full-drive |
| | | | BitLocker capability), faxing, domain-based |
| To enable you to download Vista Windows, your | | | | networking for office networks, and web |
| graphics adapter must be DirectX 9 capable. | | | | hosting; will sell for $400 for new PCs and |
| Premium-ready machines need at least 128 MB | | | | $260 as an upgrade if you have an existing |
| of video RAM to be able to download Vista | | | | Windows XP Home or Pro license. |
| Windows. Cards that are Vista-capable should | | | | |
| have a minimum 64 MB of video RAM. These | | | | 6. Existing applications must be capable of |
| requirements need to be met if you plan to | | | | running under Vista. |
| exploit the Aero Glass graphics. Otherwise, | | | | |
| if your existing video adapter is | | | | To ensure that you can download Vista Windows |
| Vista-capable, there is no need to upgrade | | | | and install it successfully, run the |
| it. It should be noted that a notebook | | | | Application Compatibility Toolkit to help you |
| computer with graphics card that is not | | | | distinguish the applications that may not be |
| compatible has a lesser chance of a | | | | operate under Vista. |
| successful upgrade to the new system. | | | | |
| | | | 7. Back up your data. |
| 4. Your computer must have a DVD drive. | | | | |
| | | | Before you download Vista Windows, do not |
| So you can download Vista Windows, your PC | | | | forget to back up your data. Prior to |
| should have a DVD drive in which you could | | | | installation of the new operating system, be |
| install Vista. | | | | sure to check that you have all the |
| | | | installation media from your existing |
| 5. Determine the version of Vista your | | | | software and the proper licensing |
| computer is capable of running. | | | | information. |
| | | | |
| Before you download Vista Windows, determine | | | | The steps above are all essential |
| first the version most appropriate for your | | | | requirements that you need to consider before |
| computer. The five different editions are: | | | | you download Vista Windows. Also, notebook |
| | | | computers and desktop PCs should be able to |
| · Windows Vista Home Basic - provides | | | | meet all the hardware specifications. |