Monday, 9 April 2007

Vista features: new features/ modified XP features

Per Microsoft's classification:

Black text: features for home users

Blue text: features for IT pros

White text: features for business users

Yellow test: features for all

Features

basic

premium

business

ultimate

Application Compatibility features

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

File-based image format (WIM)

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Pluggable logon authentication architecture

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Universal game controller support

Yes

Yes

Yes*

Yes

Accessibility Settings and Ease of Access Center

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Games Explorer

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Speech Recognition

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Updated games

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Windows Calendar

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Windows Mail

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Windows Media Player 11

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Windows Movie Maker

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Windows Photo Gallery—for organizing, editing, printing, and sharing photos and videos

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Windows Sidebar

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

.NET Framework 3.0

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

64-bit processor support

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Ad hoc backup and recovery of user files and folders

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Ad hoc backup and recovery of user files and folders

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Anti-phishing in Internet Explorer 7

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Anti-phishing in Windows Mail

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Automatic hard disk defragmentation

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

File tagging

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

I/O prioritization

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Improved file and folder sharing

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Improved peer networking

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Improved power management

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Improved VPN support

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Improved wireless networking

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Instant Search

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Internet Explorer 7 Fix My Settings

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Internet Explorer 7 Protected Mode

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Internet Explorer 7 with RSS feed support, tabbed browsing, and integrated search

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

IPv6 and IPv4 support

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Network and Sharing Center

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Network Diagnostics and troubleshooting

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Next-generation TCP/IP stack

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Performance self-tuning and hardware diagnostics

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Service Hardening

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Stacking and Group By View.

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Sync Center

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

User Account Control

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Welcome Center

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Windows CardSpace

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Windows Defender

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Windows Display Driver Model (WDDM)

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Windows Experience Index

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Windows Firewall

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Windows HotStart

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Windows ReadyBoost

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Windows ReadyDrive

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Windows Security Center

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Windows SuperFetch

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Windows Update

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Windows Vista Basic user interface

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

XPS Document support

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Maximum RAM supported with 32-bit system

4 GB

4 GB

4 GB

4 GB

Parental Controls

Yes

Yes


Yes

Windows Meeting Space

View only

Yes

Yes

Yes

Simultaneous SMB peer network connections

5

10

10

10

Windows Mobility Center

Partial

Partial

Yes

Yes

Maximum RAM supported with 64-bit system

8 GB

16 GB

128+ GB

128+ GB

New premium games


Yes

Yes*

Yes

Automatic backup scheduling


Yes

Yes

Yes

Backup of user files to a network device


Yes

Yes

Yes

Backup of user files to a networked PC or device


Yes

Yes

Yes

Incremental backup


Yes

Yes

Yes

Scheduled backup of user files


Yes

Yes

Yes

Scheduled backup of user files


Yes

Yes

Yes

Windows Aero user experience (glass, dynamic windows, and a smoother-performing desktop)


Yes

Yes

Yes

Windows SideShow


Yes

Yes

Yes

Windows Tablet PC handwriting recognition improvements


Yes

Yes

Yes

Windows Tablet PC touch screen support


Yes

Yes

Yes

Windows Tablet PC usability and navigation improvements


Yes

Yes

Yes

Windows Tablet PC with integrated pen/digital ink input


Yes

Yes

Yes

Native DVD playback


Yes


Yes

Support for Media Center Extenders, including Xbox 360


Yes


Yes

Themed slide shows

Yes


Yes

Windows DVD Maker (Video DVD Authoring and Burning)


Yes


Yes

Windows Media Center—CableCard support (U.S. only)


Yes


Yes

Windows Media Center—for music, photos, videos, live and recorded TV, and online entertainment


Yes


Yes

Windows Media Center—for recording and watching high-definition TV (U.S. and South Korea only)


Yes


Yes

Windows Movie Maker HD


Yes


Yes

Windows Fax and Scan



Yes

Yes*

Complete PC Backup and Restore (image based)



Yes

Yes

Offline Folder support



Yes

Yes

Shadow Copy (restore previous versions of your documents)



Yes

Yes

Small Business Resources



Yes

Yes

Two processors (two processor sockets) support



Yes

Yes

Wireless network provisioning



Yes

Yes

Control over installation of device drivers


Yes

Yes

Desktop deployment tools for managed networks



Yes

Yes

Encrypting File System



Yes

Yes

Network Access Protection Client Agent



Yes

Yes

Policy-based quality of service for networking



Yes

Yes

System image–based backup and recovery


Yes

Yes

Windows Rights Management Services (RMS) Client



Yes

Yes

All worldwide user interface languages (36 languages total) available




Yes

Subsystem for UNIX-based applications




Yes

Support for simultaneous installation of multiple user interface languages



Yes

Windows BitLocker Drive Encryption




Yes

Years of product support

5

5

10

5



Posted by Cyanna S at 21:15 0 comments

Sunday, 1 April 2007

Features not available in Vista Premium

Part 1a: for IT professionals

  • Control over installation of device drivers
  • Desktop deployment tools for managed networks
  • Encrypting File System
  • Network Access Protection Client Agent
  • Policy-based quality of service for networking
  • System image–based backup and recovery
  • Windows Rights Management Services (RMS) Client


Control over installation of device drivers

Allows administrators to create special rules for which kind of devices can and can't be installed on a PC running Windows Vista. While this is useful for business and public computers, it is hardly of any benefit for the home user.


Desktop deployment tools for managed networks

One big difference between XP and Vista is the way Vista is installed on the computer. Instead of a file-by-file procedure, Vista is copied as an image. It's the same technique that is used when restoring image based backups. Once the OS is installed, applications, drivers, updates and so on can be installed the same way as in XP. The problem with this way of doing things is that when you have to do it for a large number of computers it becomes very time consuming.

For Vista, Microsoft has released an AIK (Automated installation Kit) which contains several tools that allow the installation image, which is a .wim file, to be mounted like a drive in explorer, modified and recaptured in a forma ready to be deployed to any number of computers. The advantages in an enterprise environment are obvious: starting with a standard Vista DVD, one can add all the software installation packages, updates, not included drivers and so on, and have a fully personalized Vista DVD. Using some more specialized software this image can then be deployed via the network, with the technicians never needing to come near the client computer. And this is what this extra feature is all about: the network deployment requires a dedicated server, active directory and a domain. Visa Ultimate and Business (and Enterprise) are able to join a domain. The other editions of Vista aren't.

So: if you need the ability to deploy the OS through a network, and have both a server and active directory up and running, then you'll need at least Vista Business. Otherwise this is another feature that you don't need to pay for.


Encrypting file System

This is not new to Vista, the feature is also available in XP Professional. The security is somewhat better in Vista, because of the way user passwords are saved and protected. This also means that the risk of permanently loosing access to the encrypted files is higher.

Basically, instead of/in addition to encrypting the whole drive by using bitlocker or a third party software, a user can encrypt individual files or folders. For those using shared/public PCs there might be a usefulness outweighing the risks in this feature. Price-wise, there is no shortage of third party applications providing or claiming to provide the same ability, for around 40 USD/license. For once though, if secrecy is truly important to you, the Vista based solution seems to be more robust than most of the other options. Be warned though: if you don't have a backup of the certificate and encryption key and disaster strikes, your files are lost for good.


Network access protection (NAP)

One of the new features for Windows Longhorn (Vista Server) will allow the server to check each machine that wants to connect to the network for specific things, like up-to-date updates, the absence of viruses and so on. For that purpose, on he clients running Vista there is now a service that will collect that information and pass it to the server when/if needed.
For home users, they will never need this. But if you use the home PC to VPN to work, a couple of years from now the network administrator might have implemented this.
The answer here is: maybe.


Conclusion

File encryption is something that might be of enough value for some users to motivate the price difference between Vista Premium and Vista Business or Ultimate. If the feature is needed for a multiuser/public PC where not all users are comfortable using the same language, that's 2 reasons to get Vista Ultimate. Finally, in 2-3 years, you might need one of these 2 editions in order to be able to VPN to work.

If your count is still 0, maybe some of the other features will prove a "must have". I will go through more of them soon.

Posted by Cyanna S at 17:43 0 comments
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