Introducing Windows Vista

Windows Vista is the latest and greatest in the illustrious line of Windows operating systems from Microsoft. The successor to Microsoft Windows XP, this operating system is specifically designed to fill the needs of both business and personal users. As soon as you turn on a computer running Windows Vista, you'll notice the slick look of the new user interface. If your computer has the hardware necessary to display the Windows Aero color scheme, the high-quality visual effects will contribute significantly to your overall computing experience.

But this new version of Windows isn't just pretty to look at. It takes secure computing to a new level. In addition to providing accessory programs that help you monitor and protect your computer, it works behind the scenes to help keep malicious programs and malicious people at bay, and alerts you if a program or a person tries to make any changes that might affect the stability of the system.

After you get used to its sophisticated design and you come to rely on its new security features, you will probably start noticing the many Windows Vista features that increase your efficiency and productivity. Finding files has never been simpler or faster; simply type a word you know exists in the file you are looking for, and Windows Vista instantly shows you all the files stored on your system that contain the word. Getting the information you need to complete the task at hand is a snap; simply click the help links in windows and dialog boxes to learn about the available choices. Need to see whether a particular date falls on a weekend, keep track of the time in another country, or remove the red-eye from the photograph you want to use on your new business card? Take advantage of the many programs that come with Windows Vista to take care of these and other tasks, all from your computer desktop.

Because Windows Vista has so many new features, we don't identify them with a special margin icon as we did in previous versions of this book. We do, however, list the features here, categorized by Windows Vista edition.

Many of the features introduced in Windows Vista run behind the scenes and don't require you to do anything. We don't cover these features in this book because it is unlikely that you will have to work with them.

Windows Vista Editions

Windows Vista comes in five editionsthree designed for varying levels of personal computing, two specifically tailored for business computing needs.

Windows Vista Home Basic

This edition is designed for home users with the most basic computing needs, such as Internet and e-mail access. It delivers security and reliability without the extra features that many home users might not need. Windows Vista Home Basic includes the following features:

• Integrated desktop search makes it easy to find files, folders, messages, programs, and Windows Vista tools and controls from the Start Search box at the bottom of the Start menu or from the Search box in the upper-right corner of every Windows Explorer window.

• Windows Internet Explorer 7, with multi-page browsing and enhanced security, offers many convenient new features to simplify the process of locating, displaying, and returning to information on the Internet, including a built-in RSS reader for subscribing to Web feeds.

• Windows Explorer displays information about the properties and contents of folders and files.

• Sleep mode, a fast-acting hibernation function that shuts down or starts up your computer in seconds, and Windows ReadyBoost, which borrows from USB flash drive memory to expand the available system memory (RAM), help increase your efficiency.

• Windows Sidebar displays "gadgets" that make information such as news, photos, notes, weather, and more available full time from your desktop.

• Windows Mail, the new version of Microsoft Outlook Express, provides e-mail functionality without the need for other software.

• Windows Calendar provides personal and shared schedules and task tracking.

• Windows Photo Gallery and personal and public Pictures folders make it easy to view, label, organize, and share digital images.

• Microsoft Speech Recognition provides the means to control your computer by using your voice rather than the keyboard and mouse.

• Parental Controls enable you to limit the time children spend on the computer and the programs and sites they can access.

• Windows Backup And Restore Center safeguards against lost information by automatically backing up information on your computer at regular intervals and before any major system change. If you experience system trouble after installing a program, you can restore your system to the previous version without losing changes you have since made to documents or other content on your computer.

• The Network File And Sharing Center provides real-time monitoring of network connections from your computer and options for controlling what areas of your computer can be accessed from other computers.

• The Ease Of Access Center provides accessibility features and a questionnaire for determining which features can help you to better interact with your computer.

• Sync Center provides a central location for synchronizing content between your computer and portable devices such as Microsoft Windows Mobile devices and personal music systems, and for monitoring synchronization activities.

• Enhanced protection features help you ensure the security of your computer and the information on it. Windows Security Center provides real-time monitoring of the security controls in place on your computer and whether your operating system files are up to date. Windows Firewall protects against unauthorized connections to and from your computer. Windows Defender protects against malicious software (malware) attacks. User Account Control (UAC) prevents unauthorized changes to your computer by requiring administrator permission to carry out restricted tasks.

Windows Vista Home Premium

This edition is designed for home users who use their computers for more than the basics. It includes all the features of Windows Vista Home Basic, plus the following:

• The Windows Aero (authentic, energetic, reflective, and open) user interface provides an enhanced visual experience with features such as transparent window frames, additional color schemes, and live previews of open windows from the taskbar and when switching between windows.

• Windows Media Center provides the means to enjoy all forms of digital entertainmentphotos, videos, television, and musicfrom one central location. If your system includes a television tuner and Windows Media Centercompatible remote control, you can use your computer as an all-in-one entertainment center. With the addition of Windows Media Extender hardware units, you can broadcast content from your computer to multiple locations in your home or office.

• Windows Tablet and Touch Technology enables you to interact with a Tablet PCcompatible computer by using a digital pen or your fingertip. Continuous feedback helps your computer do an increasingly accurate job of recognizing your handwriting.

• Windows SideShow provides auxiliary display support for next-generation hardware with external displays, making it possible, for example, to check your schedule without opening the lid of your laptop.

Windows Vista Ultimate

This edition is designed for home users who want to do it all. Ideal for home-based businesses, Windows Vista Ultimate includes business, mobility, and entertainment functions, with all the features of Windows Vista Home Premium, plus the following:

• Windows Movie Maker enables you to create, edit, enhance, narrate, and package video clips.

• Windows BitLocker Drive Encryption protects your system by encrypting the entire hard disk on which Windows Vista is installed. BitLocker automatically encrypts the files you move to or save on the system drive, and it decrypts them when you move them from the system drive to another drive. BitLocker also protects against intrusion by monitoring the startup and logon processes; if it detects anomalies, it requires the entry of a special BitLocker password to gain access to the computer.

• Advanced networking capabilities allow you to join a domain as well as provide Group Policy support and features such as Remote Desktop.

Windows Vista Business

Designed for small, mid-sized, and large businesses, this edition includes all the features of Windows Vista Home Premium, plus the following:

• Windows Mobility Center provides access to all the settings you might want to adjust when using a mobile PC, so you don't need to search for them individually.

• Windows Meeting Space provides a convenient online meeting interface for sharing information with and among a group of people. Participants can collaborate on documents, share control of a computer, distribute handouts, and chat with each other.

• Business and technology resources designed for small businesses are available, along with enhanced networking, backup, and fax and scan capabilities.

Windows Vista Enterprise

This edition is designed for mid-sized and large enterprises with complex IT infrastructures. It is available only to Microsoft Volume License customers, through the Microsoft Software Assurance and Microsoft Enterprise Agreement programs. It includes all the features of Windows Vista Business, plus the following:

• Windows BitLocker Drive Encryption (see the earlier description under Windows Vista Ultimate).

• Virtual PC Express allows users to run two operating systems on one computer by using Microsoft Virtual PC technology.

• Subsystem for Unix-based Applications (SUA) makes it possible to run UNIX-based programs and scripts on Windows Vista.

• Support for all 35 available interface languages makes global deployment easier.

The exercises in this book cover the features of Windows Vista that you are most likely to use at home and at work, and assume that you have administrative privileges on your computer. Screenshots depict the Windows Vista Ultimate user interface.

Let's Get Started!

It might seem a bit strange to sing the praises of an operating system. In the past, a computer's operating system was supposed to do its job so unobtrusively that we only noticed it when something went wrong. Not so with Windows Vista. Its sophisticated design values and superior collection of tools and programs mean that after we've shown you around, you will be looking at this operating system in a whole new light.