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Vista's coming, so how should PC users handle it?
SAN FRANCISCO  It is the countdown to Microsoft's most important product launch in at least five years and Microsoft has sky-high hopes. It expects Windows Vista to be its most successful PC operating system yet.
But the sheer size of the next-generation software  it packs dozens of new features  and lingering questions over security have caused anxiety among some business and home users. On Jan. 30, the software giant will make Vista available to consumers. It will also unfurl the 2007 versions of Microsoft Office, a suite of software programs that includes Word, Excel and Microsoft Exchange Server, an e-mail messaging server.
RELATED ITEM: Computers evolve with Vista in mind
Vista presents plenty of new technology options, and as many personal choices: Is it wise to install the beefy operating system on your current PC now, wait a few months, or bite the bullet and buy a shiny  and pricey  new PC loaded with Vista? As one of the most significant days in Microsoft's history approaches, consumers have some important things to consider. Among them:
•Vista's considerable size. Microsoft recommends 512 megabytes of PC memory for a basic version of Vista, and 1 gigabyte for a premium configuration. Additionally, Vista requires 15 gigabytes of free space on a computer hard drive, a veritable space hog. That might intimidate people who are thinking of loading it onto their current PC instead of buying a new computer. The installation process can last from 25 minutes to several hours, depending on the computer's hardware, according to PC analysts.
"There is a concern among people," Microsoft Chairman Bill Gates said in a telephone interview. "That is why many people, including myself, choose to upgrade to Vista with our migration tools. It eases the process without having to buy a new PC."
Microsoft has built into Windows Vista the capability to transfer data, applications and customized settings when upgrading a PC from Windows XP to Vista.
Paul Thurrott, editor of SuperSite for Windows, an independent website that closely follows Microsoft products, says Vista installation takes half the time that Windows XP, its predecessor, required when it made its debut in 2001.
Regardless, analyst Charles King and others doubt most consumers will fret over the size of Vista.
Large, affordable hard drives come standard on most desktop PCs and laptops. "Space is not an issue," King says. He believes many consumers will buy Vista on a new PC with plenty of storage space, though people looking to upgrade an existing PC might be forced to free up space before they install Vista.
•The cost of a new Vista PC. Taking advantage of Vista's advanced features will require most users to buy new pricey computers, King and others say.
A new PC with Vista will cost anywhere from $400 for a low-end desktop, without a monitor, that runs a basic version of Vista to $3,000 for a high-end laptop that takes advantage of every Vista feature.
That could scare off consumers over the next 12 months to 18 months, King says.
Vista's consumer marketing is being heavily tied to new PCs, with an emphasis on major PC makers such as Hewlett-Packard and Toshiba, says analyst Matt Rosoff of Directions on Microsoft.
"A new PC OS is similar to new automobiles," King says. "You may have loved that Mazda Miata you bought in 1989, but new models are faster, more fuel-efficient and safer. That's clearly the sort of message Microsoft and its technology partners will be pushing (for Vista) the next few months."
Consumers should find Vista's new entertainment capabilities, including support for more sources of high-definition video, irresistible, Rosoff says. However, there are some copy-protected technologies built into Vista that could make it hard for users to know whether their current graphics card and monitor work with high-definition video such as HD DVDs and high-def cable broadcasts, he says.
"There is a subtle message: If you want a home-entertainment system based on Vista, buy a whole new setup and you won't have to worry about compatibility," Rosoff says. "It's a gamble on Microsoft's part. But after five years of living with their XP computers, maybe users who are into PC-based entertainment scenarios are ready to splurge on a whole new system."
•Security. A major selling point of Vista has been improved security to stanch the swell of malicious software aimed at Windows-based PCs.
But when security researchers and hackers revealed potentially serious flaws in the version of Vista released to corporate customers in November, it rankled security experts. "The reality of Vista is that it doesn't prevent viruses, which is what most consumers are affected by," says Marc Maiffret, chief hacking officer at eEye Digital Security.
"Vista will be another jump forward, so consumers may get some warm fuzzies at first and want to consolidate their (security) software," he says. "But if they drop the security applications they're currently using, eventually they're going to be hit by a virus."
Microsoft and some security researchers have played down the risk. Microsoft insists the flaws, including one that could expose consumers to malicious software on booby-trapped sites, were quickly patched  just as scores of other threats have been extinguished during the development of Vista.
"It's no surprise at all about what's going on," Gates said. "We're taking all reports as people come up with attacks. Nothing we have found is fundamental or surprising."
Brad Brooks, general manager of product marketing for Windows, says Microsoft has taken pains to make Vista the safest Windows version yet.
Vista's security is considerably better than XP, with more-restrictive firewalls, new anti-spyware filters and Internet Explorer 7's beefed-up anti-phishing security measures, security experts say. But security-conscious users aren't likely to abandon the software applications they've grown comfortable with and hand the controls to Microsoft.
Nonetheless, Microsoft can expect a majority of PC users to lean on its security  no questions asked, says Peter Firstbrook, a Gartner analyst.
"Most have no protection and don't know whom to trust," he says. "For them, Microsoft is a more trusted name than Symantec, McAfee or Trend Micro."
In the end, no operating system is impervious to viruses  even Apple's Macintosh, which was targeted by malicious software last year  analysts say.
"There is no such thing as a completely secure system," says David Smith of Gartner. "The only ones that are safe aren't plugged in and buried 20 feet deep. Whenever you add functions to an OS, you increase the possibility of security flaws."
http://www.usatoday.com/tech/products/2 ... ista_x.htm
SAN FRANCISCO  It is the countdown to Microsoft's most important product launch in at least five years and Microsoft has sky-high hopes. It expects Windows Vista to be its most successful PC operating system yet.
But the sheer size of the next-generation software  it packs dozens of new features  and lingering questions over security have caused anxiety among some business and home users. On Jan. 30, the software giant will make Vista available to consumers. It will also unfurl the 2007 versions of Microsoft Office, a suite of software programs that includes Word, Excel and Microsoft Exchange Server, an e-mail messaging server.
RELATED ITEM: Computers evolve with Vista in mind
Vista presents plenty of new technology options, and as many personal choices: Is it wise to install the beefy operating system on your current PC now, wait a few months, or bite the bullet and buy a shiny  and pricey  new PC loaded with Vista? As one of the most significant days in Microsoft's history approaches, consumers have some important things to consider. Among them:
•Vista's considerable size. Microsoft recommends 512 megabytes of PC memory for a basic version of Vista, and 1 gigabyte for a premium configuration. Additionally, Vista requires 15 gigabytes of free space on a computer hard drive, a veritable space hog. That might intimidate people who are thinking of loading it onto their current PC instead of buying a new computer. The installation process can last from 25 minutes to several hours, depending on the computer's hardware, according to PC analysts.
"There is a concern among people," Microsoft Chairman Bill Gates said in a telephone interview. "That is why many people, including myself, choose to upgrade to Vista with our migration tools. It eases the process without having to buy a new PC."
Microsoft has built into Windows Vista the capability to transfer data, applications and customized settings when upgrading a PC from Windows XP to Vista.
Paul Thurrott, editor of SuperSite for Windows, an independent website that closely follows Microsoft products, says Vista installation takes half the time that Windows XP, its predecessor, required when it made its debut in 2001.
Regardless, analyst Charles King and others doubt most consumers will fret over the size of Vista.
Large, affordable hard drives come standard on most desktop PCs and laptops. "Space is not an issue," King says. He believes many consumers will buy Vista on a new PC with plenty of storage space, though people looking to upgrade an existing PC might be forced to free up space before they install Vista.
•The cost of a new Vista PC. Taking advantage of Vista's advanced features will require most users to buy new pricey computers, King and others say.
A new PC with Vista will cost anywhere from $400 for a low-end desktop, without a monitor, that runs a basic version of Vista to $3,000 for a high-end laptop that takes advantage of every Vista feature.
That could scare off consumers over the next 12 months to 18 months, King says.
Vista's consumer marketing is being heavily tied to new PCs, with an emphasis on major PC makers such as Hewlett-Packard and Toshiba, says analyst Matt Rosoff of Directions on Microsoft.
"A new PC OS is similar to new automobiles," King says. "You may have loved that Mazda Miata you bought in 1989, but new models are faster, more fuel-efficient and safer. That's clearly the sort of message Microsoft and its technology partners will be pushing (for Vista) the next few months."
Consumers should find Vista's new entertainment capabilities, including support for more sources of high-definition video, irresistible, Rosoff says. However, there are some copy-protected technologies built into Vista that could make it hard for users to know whether their current graphics card and monitor work with high-definition video such as HD DVDs and high-def cable broadcasts, he says.
"There is a subtle message: If you want a home-entertainment system based on Vista, buy a whole new setup and you won't have to worry about compatibility," Rosoff says. "It's a gamble on Microsoft's part. But after five years of living with their XP computers, maybe users who are into PC-based entertainment scenarios are ready to splurge on a whole new system."
•Security. A major selling point of Vista has been improved security to stanch the swell of malicious software aimed at Windows-based PCs.
But when security researchers and hackers revealed potentially serious flaws in the version of Vista released to corporate customers in November, it rankled security experts. "The reality of Vista is that it doesn't prevent viruses, which is what most consumers are affected by," says Marc Maiffret, chief hacking officer at eEye Digital Security.
"Vista will be another jump forward, so consumers may get some warm fuzzies at first and want to consolidate their (security) software," he says. "But if they drop the security applications they're currently using, eventually they're going to be hit by a virus."
Microsoft and some security researchers have played down the risk. Microsoft insists the flaws, including one that could expose consumers to malicious software on booby-trapped sites, were quickly patched  just as scores of other threats have been extinguished during the development of Vista.
"It's no surprise at all about what's going on," Gates said. "We're taking all reports as people come up with attacks. Nothing we have found is fundamental or surprising."
Brad Brooks, general manager of product marketing for Windows, says Microsoft has taken pains to make Vista the safest Windows version yet.
Vista's security is considerably better than XP, with more-restrictive firewalls, new anti-spyware filters and Internet Explorer 7's beefed-up anti-phishing security measures, security experts say. But security-conscious users aren't likely to abandon the software applications they've grown comfortable with and hand the controls to Microsoft.
Nonetheless, Microsoft can expect a majority of PC users to lean on its security  no questions asked, says Peter Firstbrook, a Gartner analyst.
"Most have no protection and don't know whom to trust," he says. "For them, Microsoft is a more trusted name than Symantec, McAfee or Trend Micro."
In the end, no operating system is impervious to viruses  even Apple's Macintosh, which was targeted by malicious software last year  analysts say.
"There is no such thing as a completely secure system," says David Smith of Gartner. "The only ones that are safe aren't plugged in and buried 20 feet deep. Whenever you add functions to an OS, you increase the possibility of security flaws."
http://www.usatoday.com/tech/products/2 ... ista_x.htm