SpawnPoint

Finally, Vista is ripe for the picking. Was it worth the wait? Consumer editions are being released late January 2007. This new operating system has gamers and computer enthusiasts wondering about their fate. They are asking, "is Windows Vista truly the right step for me?" There are three areas to consider. The price of Vista, your current/future hardware, and lastly do I even want Microsoft Vista? Well, it all depends on how you look at it.

Vista is packing some serious penny. . .

Vista Home Retail $199.00 USD Retail Upgrade $99.95 USD
Vista Premium Retail $239.00 USD Retail Upgrade $159.00 USD
Vista Business Retail $299.00 USD Retail Upgrade $199.00 USD
Vista Ultimate Retail Ultimate $399.00 USD Retail Upgrade $259.00 USD

Some may call these prices expected, others may yell highway robbery. After all, now we are talking the same price as a top of the line graphics card just for the OS. Hec, Linux is free and potentially boasts a nicer looking GUI and usability factor. But I know what you are all saying, "but Linux doesn't have Direct X 10!" Yes, that is true. If you aren't in this for the gaming and are purely looking for a explicitly luminescent and polished OS then you should seriously weigh your options between the latest Linux distributions and Windows Vista.

Hardware, ain't that a stiff. . .

A Windows Vista Capable PC includes at least:

• A modern processor (at least 800MHz).
• 512 MB of system memory.
• A graphics processor that is DirectX 9 capable.

A Windows Vista Premium Ready PC includes at least:

• 1 GHz 32-bit (x86) or 64-bit (x64) processor
• 1 GB of system memory.
• Support for DirectX 9 graphics with a WDDM driver, 128 MB of graphics memory (minimum), Pixel Shader 2.0 and 32 bits per pixel.
• 40 GB of hard drive capacity with 15 GB free space.
• DVD-ROM Drive
• Audio output capability.
• Internet access capability.

Capable obviously means "can run Vista Home edition." As far as I can tell the difference between XP and Vista home are negligible. Other than a new packing a new kernel Vista home edition is a very slim improvement over XP. Vista premium is where the bread and butter of gamers and enthusiasts will throw their money. Premium has Aero, which is basically an aesthetically pleasing user interface that utilizes your graphics processing power of your DirectX 9+ card.

To Vista or not to Vista...

It's clearer than ever. Vista is on the fringe of a whole new computer era. You just need to decide is it right for you. You have many options are they are as I see them. Stay with Windows XP, move it Linux, screw it all and buy a Mac, or make a bold step into uncharted waters with Vista. The claimed capabilities sound amazing on paper with Vista, the only question is will they come through for you and your computing experience?

Time will tell.