Whether you care about it or not, if you are an average PC user, Vista will be a part of your future. So let me give you a glimpse into your future with Microsoft’s new operating system.

First, Vista is visually much more appealing than any previous versions of Windows. The interface is more fluid. Things seem to glide onto the screen.  Fonts, dialog boxes, and icons have been redesigned with a fresher look. Drop shadows and special effects make Vista more fun to look at and to work with.

Vista is also the most secure version of Windows ever produced. Although still not perfect, it has been redesigned to thwart the bad guys. Microsoft has added Windows Defender which protects your PC from nasty spyware, parental controls, more encryption tools, a better firewall, and an anti-phishing filter.

Vista will come in five different versions here in the U.S. (You can get more information on the various Vista editions at the Microsoft website.) As a home user, you will only have to worry about two versions: Home Basic and Home Premium.  Home Basic is for bare bones computing and does not even include the new visually-appealing interface that I just talked about. If at all possible, when you make the move to Vista, you will want to get Home Premium. This version incorporates what was previously called Windows Media Center edition. Home Premium will have special software to handle photos, video, and other digital media. With the addition of a TV card, if you have Home Premium Vista installed, you will also be able to record and replay television programs.

Other new features abound. Vista will have a new backup program that will make it easier to backup your data. Those of you who use Outlook Express will be glad to know that this email program has been updated and now includes a spam filter. Vista also includes an updated speech recognition system. While still not as good as some stand-alone software like Dragon Naturally Speaking, Vista’s voice recognition system may be all you need to dictate text and have your computer type it. Also, the Windows Explorer that you can use to view the content of your files and folders has been greatly improved making it easier to work with files and folders.  There is also a Windows Sidebar that provides instant access to a wide range of customizable gadgets that provide information like weather, stocks, and other programs and information at a glance.

All these new features are great, but they do use system resources and hard disk space. So for any computer system to use Vista, it will need plenty of RAM. Although Microsoft says it will run on 512 MB, I advise having 1 GB minimum, preferably 2 GB of memory. Also be sure you have a really big hard disk. Vista alone will take 15GB of hard disk space to install. Vista also requires a very capable video card and a lot of memory on that card to produce its complex graphics.

For most computer users, these hardware requirements mean that they will have to be happy using Windows XP until there is a new computer on the horizon.  In fact a new computer is the most economical way to get Vista. The upgrade to Windows Home Premium costs $159. The full version is going for $239. For not a few hundred dollars more you can get a whole computer with Vista on it.

I have been using Vista for a few months and I must admit that I really like it. Although it is very stable, many of you will want to wait a few months until it is in mass use.  As computers are replaced, Vista will become a part of the future for most PC users.

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