Windows Vista for Starters: The Missing Manual

INTRODUCTION

Let’s face it: in the last few years, all the fun went out of using a PC. Viruses, spyware, spam, pop-ups, and other Web nastiness had turned us all into cowering system administrators, spending far too much time trying to shore up our computers rather than using them to get things done.

Why on earth didn’t Microsoft do something?

Of course, now we know: Microsoft was doing something. It just took five years to finish doing it.

That something was Windows Vista, a new version (well, OK, five versions) that comes with every porthole sealed, every backdoor nailed shut, and every design flaw reworked by a newly security-conscious squad of Microsofties.

Microsoft won’t go as far as saying that Vista is invulnerable; nothing with 50 million lines of code could possibly be bulletproof. The bad guys are going to do their best.

But it’s safe to say that Vista is by far the most secure Windows yet, and that the sociopaths of the Internet will have a much, much harder time.

That’s not all Microsoft accomplished in writing Vista, though. As you’ll notice within the first 5 seconds, the company also gave the operating system a total overhaul, both in its capabilities and its look. Vista is the best-looking version of Windows ever.

Version Chaos

You thought Windows XP was bad, with its two different versions (Home and Pro)?

Windows Vista comes in five different versions: Home Basic, Home Premium, Business, Enterprise, and Ultimate. And that’s not even counting the Starter edition, sold exclusively ...