Popular Products > Computers > Windows Vista

Operating systems are the primary computer programs that control the hardware and software resources of a computer system. The Microsoft Corporation is one of the leading developers of computer operating systems. The Windows operating system, or Windows, was initially developed by Microsoft in the mid-1980s. These operating systems are based on a graphical user interface with such features as menu options, pull-down menus and various icons. The different versions of this operating system include Windows NT, Windows XP and Windows Vista.

Windows Vista is the latest edition based on the Windows platform launched by Microsoft after a span of five years. This operating system is designed for use in desktops and laptops computers. Vista has most of the features of its predecessors, but offers a lot of advanced features. One of the most striking features introduced with this operating system is an updated graphical user interface. Some of the other advanced features include improved search capabilities, multimedia creation tools and enhanced networking, display and printing systems.

The new Windows Shell offers lots of new options for organization, navigation, and searching. You can keep a better track of documents and programs with the advanced Breadcrumb Navigation System that has replaced the address bar. You will notice changes on the Start menu as well; it no longer uses ever-expanding boxes when navigating through programs. The word “Start” in the Start Menu has been replaced by a blue Windows pearl logo. The new Windows Sidebar is a transparent panel, which gives you the option to place and display your desktop gadgets (single-purpose applications) as per your requirements.

There is a special feature called Instant Search that gives you the option of searching as you type. This new search tool is much faster and detailed than the one prevalent in Windows XP. The advanced Windows Media Player 11 for Vista allows you to share music libraries with other machines running on Vista. It also has a Backup and Restores Application to schedule timely backups of files on your computer, as well as recovery from previous backups. These backups minimize the disk usage by storing only the new changes made each time.

Vista is available in six editions in the market namely Windows Vista Starter, Windows Vista Home Basic, Windows Vista Home Premium, Windows Vista Business, Windows Vista Enterprise and Windows Vista Ultimate. All these editions are targeted at different users such as businessmen and home users.