HP TouchSmart. Touch the future now.Windows Vista Home Premium
Manufacturer: Microsoft Corp. Part number: 66I-00002
- More product information:
- Editors' review
- User reviews
- Specifications
- Manufacturer info
- Bottom Line:
- Windows Vista Home Premium is essentially warmed-over Windows XP Home Edition. If you're currently happy with Windows XP SP2, we see no compelling reason to upgrade. On the other hand, if you need a new computer right now, Windows Vista Home Premium is stable enough for everyday use.
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CNET editors' review
Windows Vista Home Premium price range: $129.97 - $199.65
- Reviewed by: Robert Vamosi
- Reviewed on: 01/24/2007
- Released on: 01/30/2007
The good: Windows Vista Home Premium does improve some features within Windows XP; fewer system crashes than Windows XP; and Windows Vista offers better built-in support options.
The bad: Windows Vista Home Premium does not put Search on the desktop (it's buried within applications, within the Start Menu); no new software yet written exclusively for Windows Vista; optimized only for the Microsoft Windows ecosystem (for example, RSS feeds from Internet Explorer 7 get preferential treatment); Tablet PC support unnecessary; fax and scan support missing; and there are too many editions of Windows Vista.
The bottom line: Windows Vista Home Premium is essentially warmed-over Windows XP Home Edition. If you're currently happy with Windows XP SP2, we see no compelling reason to upgrade. On the other hand, if you need a new computer right now, Windows Vista Home Premium is stable enough for everyday use.
There are six major editions of Windows Vista; we're reviewing four. We chose not to review Windows Vista Enterprise (available only to volume license customers) and Windows Vista Starter (available only outside the United States). Windows Vista Ultimate includes everything, and this is the edition getting the most promotion from Microsoft. It is not the edition most people will find packaged on their shiny new PCs or will end up with after an upgrade of existing hardware. See our feature comparison chart to know which edition is right for your specific needs, and check the following individual reviews for more details:
Windows Vista Ultimate
Windows Vista Business
Windows Vista Home Basic
Setup and installation
The Windows Vista DVD disc includes a Windows Imaging (WIM) format of the code, so whether you buy the Home Basic edition or the Ultimate edition, the code remains the same; only the product key unlocks your specific set of features. This means users who opt for the lesser editions can always upgrade (assuming they have the proper hardware) by downloading some additional code and securing a new product key online. However, all features--even if you paid for them--are dependent on specific hardware configurations being present; if you don't have the proper graphics hardware, for example, you'll simply never see the Aero graphic effects on that old Dell computer in your basement.
Hardware requirements for Windows Vista should not be taken lightly. In a controversial move to garner positive reviews, Microsoft sent hundreds of bloggers (not including CNET) free copies of Windows Vista Ultimate; Microsoft did not send boxed copies, rather the software giant sent top-of-the-line Acer Ferrari laptops with the operating system preinstalled. So even Microsoft seems to admit that the best performance is only available on top-of-the-line machines manufactured within the last year or so.
That said, many people will still want to upgrade their current Windows XP SP2. This will keep all your current data and applications, importing them directly into the new operating system. Most people will find either Windows Vista Home Basic or Windows Vista Home Premium to be their best choice. While Windows Vista does make a backup of your previous operating system before installing, it is always recommended that you backup your current Windows XP system yourself, just in case.
Rather than upgrade, we recommend you perform a clean installation. With a clean installation, you keep all your current on the Windows XP drive and install only the data and applications you want to run on Windows Vista. A clean install can be accomplished by buying a new PC with Windows Vista already installed, partitioning an existing Windows XP machine to dual-boot into Windows Vista, or adding a new hard drive to an existing Windows XP machine.
Our clean installations took anywhere from 20 minutes to an hour, depending on the hardware in the system. It's pretty much an automated process, with the installer first copying the WIM image onto the new hard drive or partition then expanding that image. Once again, we experienced an uncomfortably long plateau at "Expanding: 27 percent"; as with previous builds, we waited between two and five minutes before the expansion continued. About halfway through, the installer reboots and continues the installation in Windows Vista.
During the installation, Windows Vista will load the drivers included within the installation image, but it will also download additional drivers from a much larger database at Microsoft. This assumes, however, that one has an always-on Internet connection; dial-up users may find that upon completion of the installation process some drivers are missing.
Once fully installed, Windows Vista first asks for your country or region, then time and currency, and, finally, the desired keyboard layout. Next, you'll choose a username, a user icon, and a password. Then select your desktop wallpaper and security settings: Automatic, Install Important Updates Only, or Ask Me Later. After reviewing the computer's time and date settings, there's one more message: "Please wait while Windows checks your computer's performance." Here, Microsoft grades your computer on a five-point scale, with the overall rating based on your system's lowest score (in our case, that was for the video card).
Windows Vista includes new musical tones written by veteran musician Robert Fripp. Compared to the familiar start-up tones of Windows XP, Windows Vista's are lighter, almost spritely. The sounds for User Account Control and Log Off are also perkier than those found in similar security warnings within Windows XP.
New on the Windows Vista desktop is a Welcome Center which contains links to frequently asked questions such as, "How do you configure your printer?" and "How do you connect to your Internet service?" There is also room for some sales opportunities, either with manufacturer specials or online offers from Microsoft, such as the Windows Live OneCare service. Frankly, we think it is better for you to look beyond the Windows ecosystem for e-mail, Internet browsers, and security applications.
After closing the Welcome Center, you'll notice to the far right there is a shaded sidebar populated with three example Gadgets ("widgets" to everyone else), tiny desktop applets that display content, such as RSS feeds. In one Gadget, a slide show of images from the sample photo library display; in the next, the current time; finally, there's a Gadget for subscribed RSS feeds. We downloaded and installed Firefox 2, made Firefox our default browser, and quickly set up a few RSS feed subscriptions. Guess what? The Windows Vista Gadget was unresponsive to our efforts, displaying only the default MSN feeds from Microsoft. Microsoft says the default RSS Gadget feeds off a common store of RSS feeds within Windows Vista, and Firefox hasn't yet adopted the API for that store. You have to use Internet Explorer 7 or choose a Firefox-friendly Gadget instead. By clicking the + symbol atop the sidebar, you'll see a panel of available Gadgets, with a link out to the Web to find even more. The Gadgets are not fixed to the sidebar; they can be dragged across the desktop. And even the sidebar itself can be disabled to allow for a full desktop view. An icon located within the taskbar will restore the sidebar at any time.
The familiar Start menu features some cosmetic changes for Windows Vista. Aside from the distinctive rounded icon, the Start menu now includes a built-in Search function. We would have preferred to have access to Search directly from the desktop rather than digging down a level or two. The All Programs list now displays as an expandable/collapsible directory tree, something Windows should have offered years ago. The new Start menu is divided in half, with access to documents, pictures, music, games, recent items, My Computer, network, Control Panel, default programs, and Help along the right-hand side.
Also new within Start is an Instant Off button. This button caches all your open files and processes, allowing you to turn off your laptop or desktop quickly without all the "cleaning up files" messages you see in previous versions. We like the feature, but on our
In Windows Vista, files become unmoored from the traditional directory tree structure--kind of. The more ambitious plan of including a whole new file system was scrapped early on; instead, Windows Vista relies on metatags, which are keywords linked to files to make them searchable. With metatags, you can create virtual file folders based on a variety of search terms. Say you're doing a report on mountains, any file that is keyword-enabled to include "mountains" will be grouped into a virtual folder without physically dragging that file to a new location. The downside is that older files (say you upgraded your system from Windows XP or imported data from an earlier version of Windows) will have to be retroactively metataged in order to be searched. Also different is the file path displayed within Windows Explorer. Gone are the backslashes, replaced with arrows that offer drop-down menus of alternative folders. We liked this efficient feature.
Finally, there's a compatibility wizard buried deep within Windows Vista. Most Windows XP applications we loaded performed just fine. Operating under the hood, Windows Vista convinces native Windows XP applications that they're running on Windows XP. Should you need to run an older application, say from Windows 95, the compatibility wizard allows you to tweak the display resolution and emulate Windows 95 for that program. For example, we were able to run a Windows 95-optimized game demo on our Windows Vista test system.
Features
Our gut feeling is that most of the significant bells and whistles are designed for the Enterprise-level customers, not the home user. Having a large number of features should not be confused with actually providing significant value to all users across the board. We would have preferred fewer features executed extremely well rather than an uneven mix of this and that, a one-size-fits-all operating system. And we disagree with Microsoft's seemingly arbitrary division of features within individual editions.
Common to all editions of Windows Vista are ad hoc backup and recovery, instant Search, Internet Explorer 7 browser, Windows Media Player 11, Windows Mail e-mail client, Windows Calendar, Windows Photo Gallery, performance tuning and self-diagnostics, Internet protocol IPv6 and IPv4 support, Windows ReadyDrive, a maximum of 4GB RAM support on 32-bit editions (up to 128GB RAM on some 64-bit editions), Windows Sync Center for mobile devices, Windows Mobility Center for presentations on the road, User Account Control (UAC) security protection, Windows Security Center, Windows Defender antispyware, Windows Firewall, Windows Meeting Space for ad hoc wireless meetings, Remote Desktop for working from home, XPS document support for PDF-like files, improved peer-to-peer networking, improved VPN support, and improved power management.
Home Premium users have built-in Parental Controls that allow you to filter Web sites visited as well as limit a user's Internet access by specific hours; there are also online gaming recommendations, with an easy-to-understand industry rating system. Also, Windows Vista Home Premium and Ultimate editions both give you Windows Media Center, which has been redesigned to better take advantage of online television subscription services and home theater systems. There's also built-in DVD-burning software, but because most DVD players come with their own software, we don't find this to be a significant plus.
We disagree with the exclusion of Windows Fax and Scan from Windows Vista Home Premium; you'll now need to buy third-party fax software to send that occasional facsimile. And Home Premium users will have limited use of the built-in Tablet PC features; this feature seems better suited for the Business and Ultimate editions.
Performance
Upon installation, Windows Vista rates each system's overall hardware performance, with the final score reflecting your system's lowest individual score. This is handy. For example, if you suspect that everything's running a little slow, you might find that your hard drive is returning the lowest score. Windows Vista will then recommend a faster hard drive or a drive with larger compatibility. Mostly, though, the video card will be the sore spot for most users. There's also an event log viewer to show, for example, after a specific software install your system performance started to degrade, and that uninstalling the software may restore your overall performance.
Under the hood, Microsoft has moved device drivers for DVD burners and printers out of the system kernel; Microsoft says that a majority of system crashes can be traced to improperly installed third-party device drivers. Thus Windows Vista hopes to vanquish the dreaded Blue Screen of Death common to earlier releases of Windows. Indeed, after testing several early builds, we found Windows Vista to be remarkably stable and robust.
Support
Along with the diagnostic and performance monitors, Microsoft has improved the Help section considerably. There is a static FAQ, but it also links to Microsoft online and allows outreach to other users for help, either via a forum or direct PC-to-PC help. Of these, we really like a feature available on some, not all, FAQs that allows you to automate the solution by executing a script. This method doesn't teach you how to do it in the future, but it will accomplish the task at hand. For example, if you choose to update a device driver, Windows Vista will darken the desktop; highlight and open the Start menu, the Control Panel, and the Device Manager; then pause to ask you what device you want to update. It's like having a technician at your desktop, walking you though the process. There's an increasing reliance on user-generated support forums, which leads us to believe that Microsoft is shying away from its own live technical support. At press time, Microsoft's final support policy was unavailable.
Conclusion
Perhaps we're spoiled, but after more than five years of development, there's a definite "Is that all?" feeling about Windows Vista. Like cramming an info-dump into a book report the night before it's due, there certainly are a lot of individual features within the operating system, but the real value lies in their execution--how the user experiences (or doesn't experience) these--and like the info-dump, we came away shaking our heads, disappointed. Compared with Mac OS X 10.4, Windows Vista feels clunky and not very intuitive, almost as though it's still based on DOS (or at least the internal logic that made up DOS). Despite the addition of a system-wide, built-in Search, and various efforts to break away from staidly old directory trees, you still need to drill down one level to even access Search. And there are far too many dependencies on Microsoft products; this is not a very objective operating system, as preference is always given to Microsoft products (of which there are many), from MSN search to RSS feeds only from Internet Explorer. But is Windows Vista a bad operating system? No. It's just a disappointment for PC users who hoped that Microsoft would deliver something truly exciting to finally leapfrog ahead of Apple. They failed. But stick around; this is just Windows Vista 1.0. Windows Vista Service Pack 1 is due out sometime before the end of the year. Windows Vista SP1 promises to fix what's known to be wrong within Windows Vista and should offer a few concrete reasons to switch.
User reviews
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Outstanding!
by xgabeadx on February 2, 2007
Pros: Aero is awesome, Voice Speech Recognition,
Cons: Same Boot Time as XP, Vista drivers not yet available.
Summary: Forget what everybody says about Microsoft copying ideas from Apple. Did you know that Steve Jobs orginally copied Xerox Graphical User Interface?(The first interface by the way) What about ...
Summary: Forget what everybody says about Microsoft copying ideas from Apple. Did you know that Steve Jobs orginally copied Xerox Graphical User Interface?(The first interface by the way) What about the new ipod? You can only download from Itunes? My point is both Apple and Microsoft both copies ideas and both want your money. Ignore the Apple commercial it is way exaturating Now I got that out of the way. I have had Vista for three days now. While I haven't gone through all of it I have enjoyed it so far. The OS looks great. I like the gadgets and Vista is fast once you get to the desktop. I was skeptical at first of IE7 because on XP I did not think it ran that great. But with Vista it runs smooth. While not the greatest The Windows Media 11 is a nice change. Plays music and videos solid. I really like The Media Center where you can view videos photos and even record TV if you have a tuner. The speech recognition is a great plus. Not only can you do documents you can use the entire windows just with your voice! Once other companies are par with Vista we will see more driver releases and new hardware. Yes windows will always be able to cracked or get a virus, but remember 90 percent of computers have Windows on them. So why would you want to waste time in cracking Apple? If you don't care about all the little technical stuff and just want to be entertained and a change of scenery and have a stable systen Vista is good to go. If you have a previous computer then wait til all drivers come out for Vista. If you are going to by a computer with Vista go ahead and make the change!
22 out of 32 users found this user opinion helpful.
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Win.XP2 is still gettig updates after 5 years
by leopmahon on January 26, 2007
Pros: Eye candy?
Cons: Hidden costs
Summary: If I were to install Vista I would have to 1.Buy a new film scanner. 2.Buy a new printer. 3.Buy a new flatbed scanner. 4.Replacement for ...
Summary: If I were to install Vista I would have to 1.Buy a new film scanner. 2.Buy a new printer. 3.Buy a new flatbed scanner. 4.Replacement for Norton security. 5. Not sure about system mechanic. That alone would make the real cost to me to be in four figures. "If it aint broke don't fix it"
Updated
Despite my 'negative review' of Vista (I'm surprised that some submissions are so vitriolic about Vista - have they Microsoft shares?) I find it excellent when it comes to organizinig and finding individual images. Also on the plus side IE7 is way more secure(can be run with XP Pro also) The photo slide show gadget on the desktop is very 'cool'- can a 68yr old use that word?! My two current critics,who's views I respect, should let Microsoft sort probs.and don't take offence when somebody doesn't trust Vista YET. BTW. I have to replace my Nikon Coolscan which will cost me 650Euro approx.and MS and Nikon inform me that there's no Vista driver and won't be.33 out of 62 users found this user opinion helpful.
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Many pros but just as many cons...
by gsingh5 on February 17, 2007
Pros: More stable, looks beautiful, more features
Cons: requires a great deal of hardware, expensive, lower battery life...
Summary: Well I recently got to try Windows Vista. I'd have to say, this was an OS that Microsoft delayed releasing for years (originally Longhorn, 2004), so naturally, my expectations ...
Summary: Well I recently got to try Windows Vista. I'd have to say, this was an OS that Microsoft delayed releasing for years (originally Longhorn, 2004), so naturally, my expectations were high.
The first look of Vista is glorious--I have to admit, Microsoft did a great job in terms of graphics. Aero is awesome-the new alt-tab features, screen previews alone are great to look at. Furthermore, the 3d screen flip is amazing. However, Vista came with more than looks--theres many new features, such as a Search feature (which is STRANGELY similar to Mac OS X's spotlight feature), data encryption (ultimate), gadgets (which is nothing but a rip of Mac's widgets), sidebar, new start menu, added security for protection from viruses, worms, etc. The installation was also really clean and effortless. BUT MOST OF ALL IT IS MORE STABLE-NO SYSTEM CRASHES!!!
Unfortunately, while vista may be more stable, other outside factors cause it to crash. For example, Vista took up over 490MB of my RAM, even with no programs running!! TO get premium performance, especially with Aero, you are going to need at least 2GB of RAM. Furthermore, many applications and games are not compatible with Vista-I tried to load counterstrike on Vista but it failed. Furthermore, it is fairly expensive-Premium, which gives you aero starts at $300 and up.
The worst part has to be the obvious rips from Mac Tiger--it really is pathetic how many aspects of Vista have been taken from Mac and have given a small remix, and then have been called amazing Windows features. Just to name a few: every window in Vista (ex: explorer) has a search feature, which was not present in windows XP. It perfectly resembles Mac's search feature, which was available on Mac years ago. Furthermore, Windows "gadgets" are the saddest thing-it just shows how Microsoft has lost its innovation, and as a result, has to take Steve Job's ideas, such as widgets which were available several years ago on Tiger,and change the name and put it on Vista.
Whats interesting is how Microsoft has put alt of effort into graphics-Mac has been known for looking stunning, and Vista seems to be Microsoft's response. However, their response requires top of the line hardware--with a Mac, the same stunning looks can be achieved on slower hardware.
Moreover, if your a laptop user (such as myself) you will be pleased to know that because of Vista, all laptops with Vista only have half the battery life of XP-so it is not convenient at all for business or heavy users.
ALL IN ALL, IF YOUR BUYING A NEW COMPUTER, AND WANT A MICROSOFT OS, VISTA IS NOT A BAD CHOICE--IT HAS MANY PLEASANT FEATURES. BUT FOR BUSINESS USERS, HARDCORE GAMERS, AND PEOPLE WHO WANT ALL THESE FEATURES AND MORE, GET A MAC OR STICK WITH WINDOWS XP.14 out of 17 users found this user opinion helpful.
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Great Performance, Kick-@SS UI, Extremely reliable under heavy loads
by SystemsJunky on January 26, 2007
Pros: New UI makes things easy to find and is more intuitive than OS X by a long shot
Cons: Driver support is still somewhat elusive in some hardware. Get with the program manufacturers!
Summary: Although it took a long time for this release to become available, I think it was worth the wait. Not only does the OS have truly innovative features and functionality ...
Summary: Although it took a long time for this release to become available, I think it was worth the wait. Not only does the OS have truly innovative features and functionality in hardware, but the software is of the highest quality MS has put out to date. Vista is a fantastic business, home and gaming platform. Many services are disabled by default making it the most secure OS from MS to date. I have put RTM on 5 machines so far. A brand new MacPro, a Mac Book Pro, a Dell Optiplex GX260, and my two systems at home, Athlon XP 2400+ and a Athlon x2 4000+. All of these machines scream (well, besides the Dell). Building of the framework of the 2003 kernel makes this an extremely solid, reliable and secure OS. After installing it on the MacPro, I won?t even go back to OSX except for Filemaker Dev, Apple Scripting and XCode dev (rarely). Vista Home Premium is great for the average person, but if you want to see the true power of the OS, go with Ultimate. The beauty of this OS surpasses OS X by leaps and bounds, I?ve even used the latest seed of leopard only to find that its another kernel panicking POS like the rest. Sorry Steve, my money will go to Bill again..But hey, stay smug!
18 out of 29 users found this user opinion helpful.
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Vista is fun
by pcomitz on January 26, 2007
Pros: Fun to use
Cons: none really
Summary: A quick read of many of the reviews here shows that it is impossible for a Microsoft product to get a fair judgement from many. Microsoft bashing is both fashionable ...
Summary: A quick read of many of the reviews here shows that it is impossible for a Microsoft product to get a fair judgement from many. Microsoft bashing is both fashionable and hip. Folks that bash Microsoft think they are sophisticated (especially true with journalists). The same folks who gush over minor Firefox upgrades bash Microsoft at every turn. (I read one review that rated Firefox superior to IE 7 because of the placement of the forwward/back buttons - does anyone really care? ) Asking for an open public rating of Microsoft is a bit like asking the general public to rate George Steinbrenner and the New York Yankees. The vocal bashers will crawl out of the woodwork.
It's simply human nature to hate the "haves"
Have a nice day everyone17 out of 30 users found this user opinion helpful.
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Vista is good, and it's the future, whether you want it or not!
by bobpenn on January 26, 2007
Pros: Aero is very nice, easier to use than XP, more stable, faster
Cons: Some bugs remain, not all apps work yet
Summary: Vista is great. It's the best version of Windows yet, and having both Macs and PC, it's simply not that different from the Mac OS. This will drive ...
Summary: Vista is great. It's the best version of Windows yet, and having both Macs and PC, it's simply not that different from the Mac OS. This will drive the Apple supporters nuts, but feature for feature, it's really not. Yes, Microsoft stole many great ideas from the Mac OS, and Apple is planning to steal a couple from Vista, but it's not like we're comparing DOS to Windows. It's one graphical OS vs. another.
My feeling is that no one with Vista will lovingly gaze into a Mac and wish they had one, and no one with a Mac would have any reason to consider Vista. Microsoft got it just close enough to close the UI gap, and arguable, Vista has more features and certainly supports a much wider variety of software than the Mac, for those actually bothering to look beyond the UI.
As to those who aren't going to upgrade because XP is just what they need: Vista is Microsoft's future. People wrote the same letters when XP came out because Windows 2000 was perfect and XP was this incremental and unnecessary upgrade. Now it's the gold standard for Windows.
Well, the same letters are now reappearing regarding Vista. Yet a year, perhaps two years from now everyone will be on Vista and it will be the new gold standard. Vista is the future, there is no alternative in the Windows world.
We might as well welcome Vista and learn to love it, because it's not going away.12 out of 18 users found this user opinion helpful.
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great with a new machine-not worth it as an upgrade
by gadget fanatic on March 13, 2007
Pros: Great looking UI, native dvd burning, snappy performance
Cons: Over priced, not much of an upgrade, terrible driver and app support
Summary: I bought a new Dell notebook with vista Home Premium pre installed. After dumping all the Dell crap-ware formatting and reinstalling vista, (for that clean machine feel), I must say, ...
Summary: I bought a new Dell notebook with vista Home Premium pre installed. After dumping all the Dell crap-ware formatting and reinstalling vista, (for that clean machine feel), I must say, I really enjoy vista. The UI is beautiful, not much of a learning curve from XP, great search function, and (because it was shipped with a new machine), I've had no application or driver issues. The performance is quick and snappy, no OS crashes or lock up's and i love the native DVD burning.
I don't like the Vista upgrade advisor, a little tool that reminds you there are better more expensive versions available, however, this is easy to ignore and not intrusive. Also almost no recent applications run properly on vista without the hassle of installing upgrades and even then your taking your chances: I tunes just released there upgrade and apparently there are still some ,( although minor), glitches and issues with compatability. On Internet explorer 7 there are a couple apps i use for work that cause the Browser to crash, this problem doesn't effect or harm my machine but there are things I just can't get done until updates are released for the browser Apps. However, this is more IE7 then Vista. Overall it's worth the hassle to have the latest and greatest and the most tasks work just fine with a little know how.
UPGRADE: On my dell desktop that is one year old I ran the Vista upgrade advisor and found that my video card,sound card, and some applications were not yet supported by vista. This is a deal breaker for an upgrade and proof that Microsoft is lost when it comes to serving the customer. Also XP media center edition is still a great problem free, worry free OS. so is it worth the money and hassle to upgrade now. I say NO!! The pros do not yet outweigh the cons for an upgrade. Wait until July or August. Then format your hard drive and do a full installation of Vista. don't use an upgrade CD.
For a new PC: Vista is great and worth it
As an upgrade: wait a few months.7 out of 7 users found this user opinion helpful.
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The best version for the avg pc user
by Cobra_R on January 26, 2007
Pros: DirectX 10, Media Center, Aero Glass.
Cons: Not many drivers out for Vista yet
Summary: This version of Vista is the best version for the avg pc user. Vista Home Basic is too stripped down, while Vista Ultimate is too over the top for most ...
Summary: This version of Vista is the best version for the avg pc user. Vista Home Basic is too stripped down, while Vista Ultimate is too over the top for most peoples needs.
If you are going to build a new system or buy a new system then Vista Home Premium should suit just about all your needs.
P.S. The OEM Vista full versions are much cheaper then the Retail Vista full versions, but the only draw back is that you can only install the OEM version on one pc compared to the Retail versions.9 out of 13 users found this user opinion helpful.
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Vista as an OS and a gaming prespective
by nycphilorican on January 26, 2007
Pros: Direct X10 will have some of the best graphics avaiilable on any platform, more stability
Cons: May need to upgrade or get new computer to get full benefits, direct X10 games will be in short supply for a while, eats up system resources
Summary: Vista as an OS seems more of a slight upgrade from windows XP as opposed to a true change. Beta testers I have talked to have told me it is ...
Summary: Vista as an OS seems more of a slight upgrade from windows XP as opposed to a true change. Beta testers I have talked to have told me it is much more stable but is not much different. In addition, some have complained that Vista will use a lot of resources to give you the new graphical effect they are touting. This is especially troubling for laptop users since I have been told battery life has been cut to almost on half w/ the OS. So as an OS if you are happy w/ XP then no need to upgrade.
Now here is where things get hairy. Vista boasts Direct X10 which they say will revolutionize PC gaming w/ it's stunning graphics. In addition, Vista has parental controls on games so only certain users can play a game as well as a game will cut off at a certain time.
Microsoft is really making Vista more of a gaming OS since the gaming industry is one of the few places in the PC market that causes growth. They are pushing games for windows in all PC stores and game stores. They are really trying to make games on PC's more user friendly.
If you are getting a top of the line computer soon then you will be happy w/ Vista. People running older rigs may suffer more from the upgrade. In addition, most new cards games will be running direct X9 for a while so you will be ok, but in the upcoming months newer more visually pleasing games will be out; start saving up for the new rig now.
One last thing, for all the Apple users out there, yes your system 'runs' or just works and there are bugs in windows, but give a review that says something rather than just bashing to drop a rating. Do you know why there are no viruses/people trying to hack macs? There are not as many Mac users as PC users so as a thief I would logically go for the bigger number rather than a handful. Simple numbers games there. MAcs are great, I have one myself (a tower and laptop), but I use it for work and nothing else.7 out of 10 users found this user opinion helpful.
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Completely satisfied with product after 1-2 months of use
by Redwing634 on March 13, 2007
Pros: Visually very pleasing, good performance, can't go wrong
Cons: some drivers need updating, see message
Summary: I purchased Windows Vista Home Premium because I was building a new PC and didnt want to spend the money on XP if I would only want to upgrade to ...
Summary: I purchased Windows Vista Home Premium because I was building a new PC and didnt want to spend the money on XP if I would only want to upgrade to vista within the next year anyways. I was a little worried about driver issues but now that I've used Vista for awhile, I no longer have those same worries.
If you're making/buying a new computer, you might as well choose Vista over XP. I wont even mention OS X since I'm a gamer and dont plan on ever going near that Operating System.
Only reason I gave this a 9 instead of a 10 is because of the fact that some minor driver issues do still exist; but that's not really a fault with Microsoft.
(if youre a student, get the student upgrade instead of normal purchase, it costs about half the price)4 out of 4 users found this user opinion helpful.
Specifications
- Manufacturer: Microsoft Corp.
- Part number: 66I-00002
- Description: Windows Vista Home Premium is the preferred edition for home desktop and mobile PCs. It provides a breakthrough design that brings your world into sharper focus while delivering the productivity, entertainment, and security you need from your PC at home or on the go. Windows Vista Home Premium delivers the productivity and entertainment that you need from your PC at home or on the go. It includes Windows Media Center, which helps you more easily enjoy your digital photos, TV, movies, and music. Plus, you'll have the peace of mind of knowing that your PC has a whole new level of security and reliability. All together, Windows Vista Home Premium redefines enjoyment in home computing. It starts with a breakthrough design that makes your PC easier to use every day. With Windows Aero, you'll experience dynamic reflections, smooth gliding animations, transparent glass-like menu bars, and the ability to switch between your open windows in a new three-dimensional layout. Instant desktop search capabilities, coupled with powerful new ways to organize and visualize your information, means you can instantly find and use the e-mails, documents, photos, music, and the other information you want, when you need it. Windows Vista Home Premium also helps keep your personal information, your PC, and your family computing experience safer than in previous versions of Windows. For example, Windows Internet Explorer 7 in Windows Vista includes automated defenses against malicious software and fraudulent websites so you can use your PC online with greater confidence. Windows Vista Home Premium also provides automatic backup of your files, such as your valuable digital photos, music, movies, documents, and other files, so you can relax and focus on the things you care about most. And, by using the built-in parental controls, parents can help ensure their children's computer use is appropriate and safer. And what about fun? A major advance in Windows Vista Home Premium is the dramatically improved digital entertainment experience. Windows Media Center makes organizing and enjoying photos, music, DVDs, recorded TV, and home movies easier and more fun. Windows Vista Home Premium makes it easier to burn your photo slide shows and home movies to a professional-looking video DVD that your friends and family can watch on a DVD player or PC whenever they like. Combined with unbeatable support for gaming and music, Windows Vista Home Premium delivers a complete home entertainment experience. If you want a PC that can keep up with you while you're on the go, then you'll appreciate how Windows Vista Home Premium helps you get the most from your mobile PC. It provides simplified power management, easier wireless networking, and streamlined ways to sync with the devices that keep you connected. Because it's incredibly flexible, you can even draw and write by hand on a Tablet PC, and enjoy all of your entertainment through Windows Media Center when you're on the road, in a coffee shop, or relaxing on the couch. Mobile computing has never been like this before. Finally, Windows Vista Home Premium makes it easier than ever to set up and maintain your new PC. There are new features that make it easier to transfer all of your data and settings from your old PC to your new one and technology that helps keep your system running quickly and reliably over time. Whether you're balancing your checkbook, studying for school on your mobile PC, watching a downloaded or recorded movie at home, or sharing your favorite photos with friends on a custom DVD, the experience is much better on a PC running Windows Vista Home Premium.
General
- Operating System Microsoft Windows Vista Home Premium
- Language(s) English
- License pricing Standard
- Localization English
Operating System
- License Type Complete package
- License Qty 1 PC
- License Pricing Standard
- Media DVD-ROM
- Package Type Retail
System Requirements
- Min Processor Type Intel x86 - 1 GHz
- Min RAM Size 1 GB
- Min Hard Drive Space 40 GB
- Peripheral / Interface Devices DVD-ROM, Sound card, 128 MB video memory, Internet connection, DirectX 9.0 compatible graphics card
Manufacturer info
- Microsoft Corp.
- Manufacturer profile
- Browse Microsoft Corp. products on Shopper.com
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- Website: http://www.microsoft.com/
- Address:
One Microsoft Way
Redmond, WA 98052 - Phone: 425/882-8080
- Fax: (425) 706-7329
