MS Vista Features

According to Microsoft, benefits of Vista include the following:

• Enhanced security: Responding to the numerous security flaws discovered in previous versions of Window, Microsoft made improved security a primary goal in designing Vista. In addition to a more secure internal architecture, Vista has an improved firewall, an anti-spyware application (Windows Defender), account controls that can allow users to change common settings without needing administrative privileges, and a more secure version of the Internet Explorer web browser.
• A new graphical user interface: Vista has a new visual look called Aero, which features translucent window effects, an enhanced taskbar that can display miniature images of actual window contents when the mouse pointer rolls over window labels, and new ways of switching among applications and selecting windows visually (Windows Flip and Flip 3D).
• Mobility: Vista has a number of new features geared specifically for users of portable computers, including improved power management and data synchronization capabilities.
• Search: The search function in Vista has been enhanced in a number of ways. A search bar appears in the Start menu, allowing users to find items including applications, documents, and Internet favorites much more quickly than in previous versions of Windows. Search results are displayed in a more usable fashion.
• Multimedia: Vista provides new applications for organizing and accessing media files including digital photographs, movies, and music.
• Manageability: Vista includes new built-in diagnostics and performance tuning features. In addition, there are enhanced options for remote configuration via group policies.

Not all versions of Vista have all of these features. In addition, some computers cannot take advantage of all these features, even if they are present.