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My Sister's Return :|

(25 Feb 2007 19:29)

I thought i would blog today while i am waiting for class to start. The time here is4pm and class starts at 5pm. Ive had the most hectic weekend my sister came back from visiting my dad and she was on another planet. Drives me up the wall when she does not think logically. I spent the week before her arrival fixing her computer and i had it working to a tee.

So when she came she wanted to go back the same day so later that night we had to drive her back to her dorm and her dorm is one hour away from where we live well at least its close to her uni. So when my sister brought her computer up she only brought her tower mouse and keyboard so i had to use my power cord to connect it etc.. No biggue.

So when we drove back we took everything she brought with her in regards to her computer. So when we got there and i was connecting things up (Well before that i walked in and it was a severe mess well the fact was that she had moved upstairs again the week before she left and had not organised her room) So anyways back to the story I was connecting everything and then i asked her where is her power cable that you connect from the back of the power supply to the power outlet.

So she couldn't find it. So guess what we had to do was to drive all the way back to our place and pick up the cord i took two just incase i was mad i did not want to drive 2wice again, but had to do it mum said so i had no choice. I was fumming. So got back in there and connected everything and this time i got everything working and she had her net connection but guess what she could not find her ethernet cable to connect from her computer to the line. So this time she was becoming frustrated i told her well you have to find it cause its here.

So after 10mins of looking and comming and going in and out of the room she came in and i was just sitting and playing solitare on the computer i had nothing else i could do and then she basically after that kicked both mum and i out of her room and indirectly told us to go.

For awhile now i have had it with my sisters attitude to her life and how she treats people. She has one self centred egotistical personality that she has got from dad and ot droves me batty.

When she is in trouble and needs help or if she is strapped for cash she knows everyone including my dad in this too. But when she has money and everything is good she does not know us at all. We owe like under $15,000 for the trip we took to india and the maintenance dad pays for her used to help pay that off also mum and i pay from our wages too. But now that she has moved out we are finding it a bit of a tight squezzee and everytime we bring the matter up she switches off. She has to learn to take reponsibility. She keeps saying she wants independance but she keeps crawling back to us when shit hits the fan.

Mum and i (well i have been on my last straw for some time now) Mum basically said she has to show some tough love to my sister and i agreed she has been shltred too long.

When will she learn. I told her in the car she has to become decisive and she said she cant make up her mind eventually because not everyone will wait around for you to decide. After this six to eight week period i am ringing dad and telling him im done and im ready to initate my own business.

I have to make that sacrifice that i have to live with all the kids which i love dearly.

I think its about time we all cut the safety net for my sister so she can learn what life is all about.

Sometimes being a youth worker and even having a Dr as a dad does not make any difference.

I just hope for her sake sje can get out of whatever she is feeling now.

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What Vista might have been

(12 Feb 2007 13:41)

By Jon Honeyball

So Microsoft has put the finishing touches to Vista, and the disk duplicating machines are ready to roll. Bill Gates claimed this was the most expensive software development program ever, comparable to the cost of putting a man on the Moon. The big question is whether Microsoft has got value for money, and we have an operating system that will make our eyes stick out on stalks.

The rest of this feature will be filled with all the things that Microsoft has put into Vista. And the list is long and extremely impressive. A completely new desktop compositing engine, new driver model, support across the board for 32-bit and 64-bit, let alone leading-edge security facilities such as BitLocker, and a whole raft of online service offerings too.

There�ll be many who will accept Vista with a huge sigh of relief and move as soon as possible. Those working in the financial services area, for example, might well find themselves forced to adopt long-overdue hard disk encryption on their laptops. And the existing Encrypted NTFS might not be strong enough to satisfy the regulators.

The problem is Vista is nowhere near radical enough. The first mistake that Microsoft made was to assume that Service Pack 2 of XP would be enough to stop the security nightmare from worsening. Microsoft�s decision to rip off all the default security from XP, especially in the Home product, is one that is haunting it. And rightly so. SP2 was a good start, but went nowhere near far enough. Microsoft should have concentrated on a High Security SP3, or �Homeland Security� version as I call it, to nail down the problems. Yes, many third-party applications would have broken, but this issue needs to be confronted. Then it should have decided to deliver a �brand new� OS called Vista targeted solely at the emerging dual-core 64-bit platform.

Instead, Microsoft�s marketing people ran the show, and took the door off the stable once again. 32-bit Vista is aimed at the upgrade marketplace, but doesn�t fully address the security issues. Worse still, Microsoft backed down over the driver signing issue, thus allowing the world to be flooded with half-tested unsigned drivers, creating a sea of kernal-mode code which is beta. No wonder users have stability issues. Worse still, instead of nailing the bad third-party applications and being prepared to name-and-shame, the marketers, worried about their joint marketing budgets, capitulated. Vista is now riddled with workarounds and fixes to help rubbish programs run. Instead of grasping the nettle, Microsoft has backed down.

And then there�s the whole Live strategy. Microsoft is pushing its way into the already crowded and deeply dark and mysterious marketplace that is the anti-virus, anti-spyware and anti-spam world. Now it�s trying to make customers pay to have their machines �protected� from the infections and spyware that shouldn�t be infecting their machines in the first place.

Worse still, what Vista is actually all about has been watered down, compromised and flushed down the pan. Yes, many of these problems are hard to fix, but the biggest software company in the world can�t continue to dither about future directions for core technologies like data storage. Microsoft offered up WinFS, which showed huge promise, only for the team to weaken and delay. First, it was going to be in the shrinkwrap. And then six months later. And now it�s gone, wrapped into a development platform toolset that might see the light of day at some point in the future.

Maybe.

For many potential users, Vista is too little, too late, and an atrocious indictment of how Microsoft has been out of control for the past six years. There are companies that have already given Microsoft money for Vista as part of their rolling licensing agreement, and yet they see the real business benefit coming from Office 2007 and Office Server first, neither of which require Vista on the desktop. To have a major Windows release in third place shows either that the days of needing a new core operating system are over or that the dithering and hand-wringing have finally caught up with Microsoft.

Maybe I should be reassured that those likely to be responsible for this mess are leaving, or have already left, Microsoft. But the truth is that Redmond has dug itself into a hole, and it�s unclear whether it knows how to climb out again, especially in the home/SoHo environment. Timelines for major and minor OS releases, both on the client and server side, have come and gone. Only time will tell whether Microsoft�s chosen strategy will work.

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Vista: Versions and requirements

(12 Feb 2007 13:39)

By Staff writers, PC Authority

Vista�s new Aero Glass interface is very impressive, but it loses its lustre if it cripples your PC. We�ve given several PCs the Vista treatment to discover what you really need to run the next generation of Windows.

For the full Vista Premium experience � including Aero at 1280 x 1024 or above � Microsoft recommends a 1GHz CPU, 1GB of memory and a 128MB Direct X9 graphics card with a WDDM driver and pixel Shader 2 support. To be absolutely certain of the minimum requirements, we began with exactly that: a 1GHz Athlon Thunderbird CPU, 1GB of DDR RAM and a 128MB graphics card � in this case, an Nvidia GeForce 6600 GT.

While we managed to get Vista running smoothly on this rig, the system froze when we tried to play video with Aero enabled. Yet once we disabled Aero, the video played smoothly. So the absolute minimum specifications really are borderline when it comes to using Vista for anything more than Internet browsing.

However, it�s unlikely many people will seriously consider running Vista on such an old PC, and the news is better if we skip forward a few years. We built a new desktop system based on a 2.53GHz Celeron D 326. Sticking with 1GB of RAM we tried a variety of graphics solutions.

Amazingly, with Intel�s integrated 64MB GMA950 we had absolutely no problems at all: we ran video while running several other programs, and even successfully viewed the Flip 3D task-switcher and Live Preview. Admittedly the video stuttered a little in these more advanced views, but as a preview it was perfectly acceptable.

Stepping up, we found every DirectX9 card we tried with 128MB of memory ran Aero without a hitch. You�d certainly benefit from a slightly faster CPU, as Vista was a tiny bit sluggish, but it was more than fast enough for basic daily use.

So if you want to use Vista to its full potential, we�d recommend a modern yet inexpensive processor like a Sempron or Celeron as a minimum, 1GB of memory and a 128MB card, which, to its credit, is pretty much as Microsoft specified.

Having ensured your PC is ready to handle Vista, you�ll now need to decide which version of the operating system to plump for. Confusingly, there are five different flavours of Vista and PC manufacturers we�ve spoken to claim they�ve been left in the dark about the differences between them.

Microsoft disingenuously claims that Vista has no more versions than XP did. That�s ignoring the fact that XP launched with only Home and Professional editions, and then later added Media Center, Tablet and Professional x64, all three of which struggled to achieve mainstream appeal. This probably explains why Microsoft has decided to ditch Media Center and Tablet as operating systems in their own right and rolled their functionality into the more advanced versions of Vista, while all versions now offer 64-bit support.

So what are the differences between the five Vistas? On the home front, there�s a choice between Basic, Premium and Ultimate editions. The uninspiring sounding, feature-stripped Home Basic is aimed at those with only elementary needs, or as Windows Client marketing manager, Mike Haigh, puts it: �people like my dad, who loves his cricket and isn�t too bothered about technology.� Basic won�t ship with the flamboyant Aero user interface, nor many of the multimedia and networking features that would appeal to PC enthusiasts. Overall, it�s one we suggest you avoid - indeed, some of the PC manufacturers we�ve spoken to have no intention of even offering the Basic version.

Home Premium is the version Microsoft says it�s paying most attention to. Premium is pitched at PC enthusiasts: people with more than one PC who want to take advantage of advanced networking facilities and home entertainment. There�s a plethora of multimedia facilities, including Media Center, DVD authoring, a HD-compatible version of Movie Maker and advanced digital photography features. It�s well equipped for mobile workers too, with Tablet PC functionality, Mobility Center - a new feature that provides at-a-glance information on battery life, wireless networks and connected peripherals for laptop owners � and support for auxiliary laptop screens. We expect Premium to become the most popular flavour of Vista with users and PC manufacturers alike.

Vista Business is the natural successor to XP Professional. Unlike Home Premium, it includes facilities that make it easier for remote workers to access corporate networks (without a VPN) and an interesting new peer-to-peer Meeting Place feature that allows users to share and collaborate on documents with laptop-wielding colleagues, using an ad hoc Wi-Fi connection. One glaring omission from the Business edition, however, is Microsoft�s new BitLocker technology, which can be used to encrypt all the data on a hard drive, preventing thieves gaining access to corporate data on a stolen laptop. For reasons best known to itself, Microsoft has decided to restrict BitLocker to the Enterprise and Ultimate editions, rather denting Vista�s business security credentials.

Enterprise was the first edition of Vista to go on sale in November 2006, although it is only available to volume licence customers. It shares many of the features available in Business, but includes a couple of additional extras that will appeal to large corporations, such as the multilanguage user interface (MUI), which means businesses deploying Vista in multiple countries can use a single image of the OS, cutting installation costs. However, Microsoft is also keen to encourage smaller businesses to plump for Enterprise, pointing out that its volume licence is available to as few as five seats. If you�re an SME itching to get hold of Vista, this might be an attractive option.
Finally, there�s the grandiosely titled Vista Ultimate, which includes all the features found in both the Home Premium and Business editions and a few extras to boot. It�s ideally suited to professionals who use their PC for both work and pleasure, and Microsoft plans to reward customers who opt for this most expensive option with membership of an �exclusive club�, which may offer treats such as free music and video download and preferential support.

If all that wasn�t confusing enough, Microsoft will have to ship two additional variants in European markets � Home Basic N and Business N � which don�t come with Windows Media Player 11, as part of its so-called punishment for anti-competitive behaviour in the EU. Quite why anyone would opt for the N versions is beyond us: if you were strongly opposed to Microsoft�s bully-boy tactics, you wouldn�t be buying Windows in the first place, and we expect these versions to swiftly disappear without trace. Also disregard anything you may have heard about a Vista Starter edition � this is a cheap, no-frills version of the OS intended for emerging African and Asian markets, in a bid to prevent the significant piracy problems in those regions.

What's in each version of Vista

Basic Premium Business Enterprise Ultimate
Aero interface No Yes Yes Yes Yes
DVD Authoring No Yes No No Yes
Media Center No Yes No No Yes
Tablet PC No Yes Yes Yes Yes
Mobility Center No No Yes Yes Yes
Remote Desktop & Meeting Place No No Yes Yes Yes

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Vista: Out of the box

(12 Feb 2007 13:29)

By Ross Burridge

Photo gallery
Available in: Vista Home, Vista Home Premium, Vista Ultimate (TBC)
While Windows XP has basic photo-management tools built in, Vista goes a step further by bringing in a dedicated application. It�s a slightly awkward split into three modules (a gallery, preview and editor), but it does add significant new features.

The main gallery screen provides an Explorer-style tree view on the left, allowing you to sort photos in a variety of different ways, with the ever-present Vista search box available at the top. The middle section shows scalable thumbnails of your photo library, while the optional detail pane on the right displays the file�s key metadata, such as when the picture was taken. You can also add captions and metadata tags to pictures here, all of which are indexed in Vista�s search engine, as well as shown in the Gallery�s tree view.

Double clicking on any picture will take you to a larger preview screen (essentially the same as the one in XP), but click on the Fix button and you�ll be taken to an editor, where you can auto-fix the colour balance and brightness/contrast (with mixed results), or make a series of finer, manual adjustments. Most useful of all, though, is the effective, red-eye removal tool, which will suffice for the needs of most casual photographers

Available in: All versions (TBC), except �N� editions.
Though the European Union has forced Microsoft to produce a Media Player free version of Vista, it�s still bundled in all the regular versions of the operating system. Version 11 brings some major changes, both visually and behind the scenes, primarily aimed at ease of use. The most obvious change is the generous use of album art throughout the program, rather than the text-based tree view found in previous versions.

You can now browse by artist, album title, song, genre, year, rating or folder, and the search box once again makes an appearance. It�s much, much faster too, with both keyword searches and scrolling through even large collections feeling responsive.

As before, you can rip music from CDs, burn your own compilations and synchronise with media players, and there�s also the promise of new online music stores integrated into the interface � including MTV and Microsoft�s fledging Urge. Windows Media Connect server is also now built in, making light work of sharing your library with other computers or Universal Plug �n� Play devices across a network.

Windows Media Center
Available in: Vista Home Premium, Vista Ultimate (TBC)
Until Vista, you had to get the specific Media Center Edition to take advantage of Microsoft�s home entertainment suite. Even then, it was never officially sold without accompanying hardware, and still needed specific video codecs installed to work properly. But that�s all changed in Vista: not only is there an MPEGII codec installed (so it will play DVDs out of the box), but the Media Center interface will be included with both Home Premium and Ultimate versions.

The headline features remain the same � you can access photo, video and music galleries using a remote control (or your mouse and keyboard) � but the interface has been given a good polish. Configurable thumbnail previews are used throughout each section, and there are new ways of sorting through libraries � music can be organised by album artist, composer or year, for example, and the photo gallery supports Vista�s ability to add tags to your pictures.

The interface is now much more discreet: if you�re watching TV, most menus will be smoothly overlaid on top, including the electronic program guide, which now comes in a more compact version. The cable TV CableCARD format is also supported, although there�s currently no hardware around to take advantage of it. There�s support for up to four analog / DVB-T TV tuners (two of which can be HD), although you�ll still need the requisite hardware.

Windows Movie Maker/DVD Maker
Available in: Vista Home, Vista Home Premium, Vista Ultimate (TBC)
Despite jumping four versions since the latest release for Windows XP, Windows Movie Maker 6 isn�t actually a huge upgrade in itself: aside from minor cosmetic changes, there�s a small increase in the number of effects, plus a handful of new transitions. It now also supports the recorded TV (DVR-MS) files that Windows Media Center Edition produces, so you�ll be able to trim down recordings, remove adverts or downscale their resolution.

If you�re running Home Premium or Ultimate Editions, there�s also support for importing, editing and burning Windows Media HD format, although you�ll need a fairly powerful PC to handle it. The embedded video preview window will also take advantage of any graphics hardware you have, so is no longer necessarily restricted to 320 x 240 pixels.

As well as popping up when you author DVDs from within Movie Maker, DVD Maker is a standalone application in itself. It�s basic, but could prove handy as a quick and dirty way of producing photo and video slideshows, complete with soundtracks and automatically produced DVD menus.

Windows Mail, Calendar and Contacts
Available in: All versions (TBC)
We�ve had Outlook Express since Windows 95, but Vista�s built-in email client comes with a brand new name: Windows Mail. It�s an almost identical program, with a few added extras bringing it up to date. Most significantly, there�s now a configurable junk mail folder, which also provides a degree of phishing protection, and Vista�s instant search engine to make finding previous correspondence substantially faster. Support for Internet newsgroups remains, with the addition of �community ratings�, allowing users to vote on the usefulness of posts.

Windows Contacts, rather than being a standard application, curiously presents each contact as a file in a Contacts folder sat in a user�s home directory. It�s a big step forward from the previous Windows Address Book though; more accessible and supporting more fields. You can also import and export contacts using vCards or Comma Separated Value (CSV) files.

Most significant of all, though, is the Calendar application, entirely new to Windows Vista. Supporting the popular vCal and iCal formats, much of the interface is a simplified version of Office Outlook, but you can still set up complex appointments or recurring events, and generally all from one screen. You can have multiple calendars, publish them online or subscribe to other people�s. Aside from the lack of Exchange integration, there�s surprisingly little missing, and these three applications should cater for most people�s day-to-day needs.

Internet Explorer 7
Available in: All versions
Microsoft�s much-maligned Web browser still retains the lion�s share of the market, yet it�s remained largely unchanged since the release of Windows XP. On the surface, Internet Explorer 7 brings in a number of usability changes, removing much of the toolbar clutter of previous versions and adding tabbed browsing � albeit some years after the competition.

Like much of Vista, the menu bar is hidden by default, with common tasks accessed via drop-down icons and arrows. The history and favourites features have been combined into a drop-down �Favorites center� on the left, which also incorporates quick access to the new support for RSS � navigate to a page with an RSS feed, and an icon in the toolbar will turn orange to indicate it. A search box is once again present at the top right, which you can customise to a search engine of your choice.

Security has also been a prime concern and, in Vista, IE7 runs what Microsoft calls Protected Mode. This effectively sandboxes the application, denying it access to any of your machine�s local resources without explicit user permission � a feature that won�t be available in the XP version. There�s also a phishing filter which checks against a regularly updated blacklist of known fraudulent sites, and all windows (including pop-ups) have their own address bars, so you�ll always know where they come from.

Warning: Please note that the software bundled with each version of Vista is subject to change.

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Vista: Networking, IPv6 and beyond

(12 Feb 2007 13:26)

By Staff writers, PC Authority

Windows XP�s networking capabilities have never been a particular cause for complaint among users � at least not since the release of Service Pack 2 and its improved wireless integration � but that hasn�t stopped Microsoft going back to the drawing board. The IP stack � the code implementing the many layered sets of standardised protocols which allow TCP/IP networking � has, according to Microsoft, been rewritten from the ground up and has now been nattily dubbed the Next Generation TCP/IP Stack.

The key inclusion is IPv6 support, but there are quite a number of performance enhancements that should make a genuine difference to network-connection stability and performance. For maximum throughput, the new stack implements Receive Window Auto Tuning. The concept behind this is less complex than it sounds. A device transmitting on the network can only send a certain amount of data before it has to stop and wait for the receiving device to send an acknowledgement; under XP this Receive Window is fixed. Under Vista it varies dynamically according to network conditions to maximise throughput.

On the wireless performance front, the Next Generation Stack implements a number of recently developed IETF (Internet Engineering Task Force)-approved algorithms for enhancing stability and reliability, enabling faster recovery from a number of common problems that occur with noisy and unreliable wireless connections. When it comes to the practical business of setting up a wireless network connection, the separate Wireless Networks configuration panel has disappeared and been subsumed into the Connect to a Network wizard dialog, which displays both wired and wireless connections without making a distinction between them. This makes for a less bitty approach to network setup.

Once you�ve set up your new connection, Microsoft has attempted to relieve the pain of hunting for network drives and settings scattered across a dozen different locations with the Network and Sharing Center. The previously frustrating business of browsing all computers on the local network has been solved: you can now simply click View Computers and Devices for an overview of the network unencumbered by labyrinthine workgroup navigation. You can also get the system to attempt to build a topographical map of your local connection surroundings, which looks impressive although we�re not yet convinced how useful it will be for diagnosing or configuring networks in the real world.

Much attention has been paid to auto-discovery and configuration of devices, such as routers. Two new systems, called Simple Config and LLTD (link layer topology discovery) allow, for instance, for configuration of a wireless router without having to dig into the Web-based interface of the router itself. The caveat is that devices need to implement the system in their own firmware: no production devices currently do. When devices with the appropriate firmware do appear, the process should be akin to setting up a Bluetooth connection, where pairing up the devices initially involves entering a device PIN � probably printed on a label somewhere on the device � for identification.

Sync Center
In an attempt to resolve the thorny problem of how to keep your various devices both up-to-date with each other and what to do when your laptop is offline, Vista now has the Sync Center. This effectively replaces Microsoft ActiveSync, the separate download which has handled PDA and mobile synching in XP. Sync Center amalgamates offline network file caching, synching PDAs, mobile phones and MP3 players (although the latter is still primarily handled by Windows Media Player). It usefully keeps a list of current sync conflicts (such as two people working on the same document simultaneously) so you�re not forced to decide what you want to do the instant you reconnect to the network. As with ActiveSync, devices need to have Sync Center drivers to work with it.

Behind the scenes, developers can take advantage of a new API (application programming interface) called the Network Awareness API. This keeps track of the state of the system�s connections, be they wired or wireless. An application can interrogate the OS via the Network Awareness API and get an up-to-date list of the available network connections. Not only that, an application can register itself to receive events from the API and be actively informed of a change in network status. This means that properly programmed network applications can respond to a dropped connection rather than simply hanging if they were in the middle of a network transfer. The caveat, of course, is that it doesn�t magically make programs better behaved � application programmers need to go to the extra effort of programming to the API to see the benefit.

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Vista: Security and encryption

(12 Feb 2007 13:22)

By Staff writers, PC Authority

Microsoft could create the prettiest OS in the world, but unless Vista solves the fundamental security problems that have beset Windows XP then history will ultimately deem it a failure. So it�s no wonder that Microsoft has made fundamental changes to the way programs access Vista, while throwing in a whole range of new security technologies to protect against hackers, viruses and even corporate espionage.

Administrators and the UAC
By default, the vast majority of Windows XP user accounts are all-powerful administrators: once logged in, you can do anything to your OS. The problems come when a virus has inveigled its way onto your system: it could change any setting, and the first you might know of it is your computer simply stopped working.

With Vista, Microsoft's intent is for most people to run as a �standard user�. The idea of a non-administrator account isn�t new, but with XP it was labelled a Limited account and many programs simply didn�t run unless you were logged in as an Administrator. The end result was that almost everyone soon switched to Administrator status, even in businesses.

To quote Vista itself, �Standard account users can use most software and change system settings that do not affect other users or the security of the computer.� If they need to make an advanced change that will affect others, such as altering the clock time, they�ll be prompted for the administrator�s password.

If, on the other hand, you�re logged in as an administrator, then you�ll be prompted to press �Continue� whenever you�re about to perform what Vista considers to be a potentially damaging task. This prompt is the outward sign of the UAC, the User Account Control; whenever an icon includes a small Windows shield, you�ll know you�re about to be prompted.

It�s an interesting approach, but we�re not convinced this will succeed in the long term. Far too many people will still log in as administrators, become annoyed by the UAC nagging, and switch them off (which is very easy to do). Also, the lack of meaningful information when you click on Details means many inexperienced users will click Continue by default.

Microsoft desperately needs to add some plain English to this dialog box, and make it context-sensitive, or many people will simply ignore the UAC. However, the new standard user accounts are a big step forward, especially if as many people use them as Microsoft hopes.

All-new Security Center
Microsoft has updated the Security Center it introduced with Windows XP Service Pack 2, with the intention that third-party security software suppliers (such as McAfee and Symantec) will plug their software into it. As standard, Security Center includes a two-way firewall, anti-spyware (Windows Defender) and parental controls.

The firewall is already a step above the one included with Service Pack 2, as it includes both inbound and now outbound protection. Another bonus is the ability to stop particular applications, such as messenger clients. However, our tests have consistently shown that third-party firewalls - including the free ZoneAlarm - are better at repelling threats. Fortunately, you can replace Microsoft�s firewall with your own choice.

It�s a similar story with anti spyware. Webroot�s Spy Sweeper is a far better performer when it comes to blocking, detecting and removing spyware than any version of Windows Defender we�ve yet seen. But you have to pay around $40 for Spy Sweeper, whereas Defender is free, and Defender is still a very good anti-spyware tool. Overall, it�s fantastic to see this built into an OS as standard.

The final inclusion of note is parental controls, which Vista ties in to user accounts. As the administrator, you can control the experience of your �standard users�, from the times of day they can use the PC to which games they play and which websites they visit. You can also choose to track their activities, including websites visited and applications run; it�s intrusive but effective.

Considering all this, it may seem a little strange that Microsoft hasn�t included anti-virus protection as standard. Cynics would argue the main reason for this is Windows Live OneCare - Microsoft�s subscription-based service that provides virus protection along with enhanced spyware, firewall, tune-up software and data backup services. Others believe that it�s to avoid another monopoly legal wrangle.

More controversy comes in Microsoft�s expectations of how third-party software will work with Vista. It wants the likes of McAfee and Symantec to plug their software into the Security Center, so users will always have a uniform interface; the companies want their own �Security Center� software to be able to replace Vista�s offering. There are pros and cons to both solutions, but the end result could be two Security Centers slugging it out for control, which will help no-one.

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Vista: Under the skin

(12 Feb 2007 13:18)

By Staff writers, PC Authority

While XP employs cartoon colour schemes and cloying canine search assistants to appear approachable and friendly, Vista takes an altogether more sophisticated approach. It�s not just the pretty graphics and new icons that have changed either, with new ways of finding and managing files, configuring your PC and keeping you informed about what�s happening. Transparency is the order of the day, in some cases, quite literally.

The interface has been thoroughly revamped, with everything from the control panel to file dialogs being upgraded to make them more accessible. There are fewer multistep wizards, and entirely new interfaces have been added to make more complex areas - such as networking - easier to understand, but it�s the visual and organisational changes that will have the most day-to-day impact.

Aero & Windows Basic
Alongside a new graphics driver model that promises greater stability and an end to visual glitches, Vista brings in a new, more powerful graphics engine, known as the Windows Presentation Foundation. It�s a set of APIs (application programming interfaces) that take advantage of the power harnessed in today�s graphics cards.

Depending on how powerful your card is (see here for what you'll really need), you�ll end up with the option of one of two experiences in Windows itself - Windows Vista Basic, or the premium Windows Aero.

The most obvious change under Aero is the much-hyped glass look on windows, and the taskbar. This comprises not just the see-through title bars and borders, but a host of subtle lighting effects. The idea is to provide a more lightweight environment that interferes as little as possible with the task at hand. In terms of where your attention is drawn when working in an application, it�s largely successful.

You also get live previews of open windows when you hover over minimized windows in the taskbar - particularly handy for checking on file progress. Aero also brings a much-needed replacement for the task switcher, using live thumbnails of applications to make identification much easier. There�s also a big eye-candy hit in the form of Windows Flip 3D (accessed via the Windows key and Tab), which spins all the open windows askance, and allows you to scroll through them in a pseudo 3D environment. Even once the novelty wears off, it does occasionally prove useful.

The Windows Basic scheme ditches the glass effects, glowing buttons and live previews and, if you so wish, you can go even further and revert entirely to a Windows 2000 appearance. While Aero adds a fair amount to the experience, those with older systems shouldn�t lose sleep if their systems won�t cope with it - it�s far from all that Vista offers.

Explorer
In keeping with the more grown-up approach, the farcical My Computer naming convention of Windows XP has been dumped. The folders have been reorganised too: rather than everything being crammed untidily in to My Documents, a root folder named after your user account contains discrete folders for Favorites, Contacts, Downloads, Music, Pictures and Video - plus folders for Saved Games. Besides being more logical, it�s also good news for simplifying a backup strategy, just as long as you�re reasonably organised.

Explorer windows themselves are very different too. By default, the left side holds a navigation pane or Favorite links list (also common to file dialogs), which can be edited as you see fit. Underneath that, there�s a button to bring up the old-style folder tree should you want it. The bottom holds the Preview pane, performing the same function as right-clicking to see a file or folder�s properties although, frustratingly, it doesn�t show the size of selected folders.

The big, friendly navigation buttons of XP have been replaced with a context-sensitive command bar running along the top, similar to XP�s common tasks pane, but the menu bar has completely gone, only appearing when the Alt key is pressed. Also gone is the Up button, leaving just Back and Forward buttons. Folder navigation now uses a breadcrumb trail, allowing you to skip to any part of the file path in a single click, with the Favorite links at its root. Take the time to customise that and it�s a tremendous timesaver.

Seeing what your files contain is much more straightforward; as well as the Preview pane, all icons are now treated as thumbnails, including those on the Desktop. Vista still offers XP�s tile, icon, list and detail views, but you can now resize icons through a wide range of sizes, and live thumbnails are used wherever possible.

nstant Search
Finding files in Windows XP can be a real chore, particularly if you�re not sure roughly where they are or what the file name is. Vista�s Instant Search facility aims to remedy that, and crops up everywhere from Explorer windows and the Start Menu, to bundled applications such as Calendar and Media Player. The good news is that it�s much, much quicker - if not actually instant. As soon as you start typing, results start appearing, theoretically becoming more accurate the more you enter.

Rather than searching your hard disk each time, Vista trawls through your email and user folders in the background and creates a global index. You can configure how thorough this is, choosing not just which folders are searched, but to what degree, such as compressed files or file contents. You can also use it to build an index of files on removable storage. It�s context sensitive, so the results returned are intelligently governed by the window that you�re in: the Start menu prioritises applications, the Music folder audio files.

It isn�t just filenames that are indexed either: every file can contain a number of metatags (information embedded inside a file such as its author, subject matter or category), which can be searched for in the same way. That same index is also used in Explorer windows, with each column attribute having a drop-down box to narrow down your search even further. Once you�ve set up a search, (say, documents created by you containing the words �council tax�), you can save it, creating a saved search in your Searches user folder.

Start Menu
The new search box in Vista�s Start menu (accessed via the orb at the far left of the taskbar) has other benefits. Hitting the Windows key takes the focus straight there, so you can search, launch an application or start a Control Panel applet much more quickly, and all without touching the mouse.

The rest of the menu has been overhauled too. The All programs link now reuses the same space (rather than cascading out), and it�s a fixed size: once any section of it becomes full, it adopts scroll bars rather than simply expanding to the screen-hogging proportions of Windows XP.

Sidebar & Gadgets

Since the earliest betas of Longhorn (Microsoft�s codename for Vista), the sidebar has had many forms. Originally slated as front-end for system notifications, it�s now simply an area to dock gadgets - small XML applications that perform simple tasks, such as a photo viewer or displaying RSS feeds. You can also drag them onto the desktop, exposing more features - the current weather gadget, for example, expanding to a three-day forecast.

A number of these gadgets are included in Vista (some more useful than others) with more available online. The sidebar and gadgets come into their own if you�re using a widescreen monitor with a high resolution, but we suspect that many people will simply find them a distraction and either use a key gadget or two, or turn it off completely.

Virtually
Rather than worry about where your files are actually stored, the idea of Virtual Folders is to simply show them as if they were all in the same place - any document files, regardless of where they're saved, would show up in a Documents folder. Despite playing a large part in early Longhorn builds (as well as Microsoft's marketing), beta testers found it confusing in practice, and Microsoft gradually relegated them into the wings. They're still there, though - in the form of Saved Searches, so you can create your own if you wish.

Conclusion
Getting used to a new OS is a tricky process, and Vista is no exception. How well and quickly people adapt to the changes will largely depend on their experience and how they work, but for most people, it should be worth the effort.

There�s a lot to get used to: the occasionally obscure windows furniture, the benefits (and limits) of Instant Search, and the baffling number of options for filtering and labelling files for a start. Vista is also immensely configurable, and just as many immediately switched off the animated search companion and common tasks panes in Windows XP, we�re sure many will similarly customise Vista to suit their needs.

Although it�s nowhere near as radical as was originally planned, there�s no doubt that, from an interface point of view at least, Vista�s overall approach is far more mature, pleasant to use and, once you�re used to it, much faster. And while it�s not perfect, we can�t see anyone wanting to go back to the days of Windows XP.

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The truth about Windows Vista

(12 Feb 2007 13:12)

By Staff writers, PC Authority

It�s the most important OS launch since Windows 95, it�s been five years in the making and it�s here - Windows Vista has finally arrived, but is it fit to unleash upon your PC?

In this feature, we�re going to fully explore the OS that�s pivotal to the future of the world�s biggest company. We�ll examine whether it lives up to its promises, test the series of new applications that come with Vista and reveal exactly what version of the OS you should be running - and whether your current hardware is up to the job.

So what�s Microsoft trying to achieve with Vista? The company�s long-stated top priority is to improve on the security problems that have blighted XP. Crippling virus attacks, hundreds of flaws and the monotonous regularity of Patch Tuesday have further damaged Microsoft�s (already tarnished) security record. The company simply has to get it right this time - and there�s no doubt it�s making a huge effort to get its house in order, with new features such as User Account Protection and advanced cryptography.

Aside from security, Vista is introducing dozens more new features, so in an attempt to simplify its marketing message, the company has grouped these functions into three themes: Clear, Confident and Connected.

Clear covers the significant work that's been undertaken on the Windows user interface, including the introduction of Virtual Folders, the Desktop gadgets available from the newly implemented Sidebar, and the sophisticated Aero interface.

Confident encompasses the enhanced security features discussed earlier, plus stability and the long-overdue backup facility.

Lastly, Connected is the umbrella term for features such as the rejuvenated networking facilities, laptop- and tablet-specific features (including the option for auxiliary screens on notebooks for an instant glance at email messages, for example) and innovations such as Meeting Place that promise to end the tedium of photocopying handouts before meetings.

In the pages that follow, we�ll be putting each of these three categories through a forensic analysis to determine whether Vista users really will be Clear, Confident and Connected or Muddled, Mistrustful and Marooned.

One thing that isn�t in doubt is Vista�s significance. After spending more than a decade in Microsoft�s shadow, Apple is finally beginning to gather momentum with Mac OS X. Apple shipped more than 1.3 million Macs in the last quarter, which, while still small beer compared to Windows shipments, was an impressive 12 percent up on the same quarter in 2005. More worryingly for Microsoft chairman Bill Gates, more than half of the Mac buyers from Apple�s retail stores were new to the platform - suggesting that people are being seduced by Apple�s aggressive campaign that encourages switching.

Apple CEO Steve Jobs also takes great delight in regularly pointing out that Apple has produced four OSes (or upgrades of OS X, to be more accurate) in the time it�s taken Microsoft to build one (he conveniently forgets about the Tablet and Media Center versions, not to mention SP2). However, Jobs really will have bragging rights if Apple manages to get Mac OS X 10.5 (Leopard) out of the door before Vista, which would become increasingly likely if Vista was subject to any further delays. Wags in Apple�s marketing department are already referring to Leopard as �Windows Vista 2�, because they claim it improves upon many of the features Vista is poised to introduce.

So the stakes are high for Vista. Get it wrong, and Apple will continue to capitalize on Microsoft�s misfortune and potentially erode its position as the dominant OS. If it�s a success, however, the very future of Mac OS could be under threat, given that Intel-based Macs are now capable of running Windows. Either way, it�s going to be one hell of a fight.

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February 2007

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Vista: Out of the box

Vista: Networking, IPv6 and beyond

Vista: Security and encryption

Vista: Under the skin

The truth about Windows Vista

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Thank God its The Weekend


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