Windows Vista First impressions

[FarFarAway]

A little bit old...but I've been busy!!

Windows Vista has been looked at in more details by Bit-Tech. I'm not going to post a huge amount about it as its a long article and if you really wanna know - then go read it

So looks like the beta is a long way of finished:

This isn't a showcase of the new features to you and I, this is the starter course for many months of development work from partners and application designers. Many of the new and exciting features which interest the users are missing from this release and there is far more emphasis on getting the under-the-bonnet revamping out there to the people writing the software for it.

So glad I couldn't be bothered to get it

Installation looks to be a pretty damn good improvement on the old XP tho - I hate the cr@ppy DOS-based screens that feel like you could easily screw it all up

Ahhh...much nicer...and apparantly no scrambling for the F6 key!!

http://www.bit-tech.net/content_images/windows_vista/5.jpg

And that, apparently, is that!. Twenty minutes of waiting and then you get to the Windows logon screen. I'll believe it when I see it

AERO

[QUOTE="Bit-Tech]AERO uses the 3D hardware to layer redraws on top of each other, off-screen (similar to how off-screen render targets are used in 3D). The use of the 3D hardware makes it possible to achieve composition effects that were horrendously slow previously. For example, transparency can be achieved by blending redraw layers in hardware, so that the windows behind it show through. Windows can fade in an out by changing the transparency level. Windows can be manipulated as 3D objects and tiled, moved or rendered in different ways from those we have now. The composition is done in hardware because graphics hardware spends all its time in games compositing scenes in this manner, and so is very fast and efficient at doing so.

Yes we've been hearing about this for some time. Sounds interesting and I would like to see it in action.

Apaprt from this and some nice looking graphical interfaces, th overall look doesn't look to have changed immensly. One bonus that was pointed out was the fact the instead of reams of program menu's extending over your screen...Vista refreshes the program list on the left of the start menu:

Looks good

Navigation

Appartently navigating is just as easy as XP, with some easier functions (like HDD space actually displayed on the drive icon) and tricks like "Todays Documents". Also incorporated is a newer and better search facility that allows you to add hot words and suchlike to your files to make them easily searchable - not that I would be bothered to use that, but it may be useful to those of your who aren't as lazy as me!

Security

Security and MS go hand in hand like a Manc and a Scally (soz - English thing) - it just doesn't happen. With this in mind...MS have decided to try their utmost to get those of us who would rather sell their Grandmother than use IE and suchlike

So more security, more password layers and less virus'??

Once again...I'll have to see it to bvelieve it...

With Vista, your user account is far more secured than previously but does not suffer from the (often frustrating) restrictions of a 'limited account'. Vista has adopted the idea that you enter an administrative password to do potentially system damaging things from within any user account. Obviously if trojans or viruses try to worm (pun intended) their way into the system, they're going to find far more barriers in their way.

Well there ya go.

IE 7

Well we've seen some IE 7 shots already and it has to be said that its looking better than it has done for a while...tho I would still say to take a look at This before you all go get it

So IE 7 has stepped up security...and if MS are to be believed, then IE 7 will be trojan/virus/bot free...once again I'll believe it when I see it...

Overall

Well I'm gonna have to get a new OS somewhen - getting annoyed with being challenged by every MS employee when I ring up to re-activate my Legal OEM copy of XP (I love MS ) Maybe this will prove to not be buggy as ass...we'll see

Full article @ Bit-Tech

 

[Dav0s]

hmm im lost. is windows vista the same as longhorn?

 

[FarFarAway]

hmm im lost. is windows vista the same as longhorn?

Yes Dave - keep up