Windows Vista is the latest Microsoft operating system on the market. In this introductory course, you'll find out what makes Windows Vista new and exciting for users new to the operating system and those wanting to upgrade. You'll evaluate the editions available and their benefits, and you'll learn how to navigate the interface of Windows Vista Home Basic and Home Premium editions and explore their features.

This course consists of four lessons, each one with an assignment and a quiz. Assignments are not graded; they serve to help reinforce concepts and important aspects of each lesson. Quizzes are machine-scored; however, no one sees your score but you, and you can retake a quiz as many times as you like.

Here's what to expect in the lessons:

• Lesson 1 explains and shows you the new features of Windows Vista. You'll also find out whether Windows Vista will run on your current PC and explore the differences between upgrades and complete installations.
• Lesson 2 explores the Windows Vista interface, including the Start menu. You'll learn how to manage files with Windows Explorer and how to stack, sort, and group files.
• Lesson 3 shows you how to customize Windows Vista. You'll find out how to make the interface your own by changing themes, colors, fonts, keyboard and mouse performance, and more.
• Lesson 4 focuses on Windows Vista Home Premium and how you can turn your PC into a complete entertainment center. You'll explore Windows Media Player and Windows Media Center, learn how to transfer and share files on other PCs and mobile devices, and set parental controls. You'll also find out how Windows Calendar and Windows Contacts can help you organize your family's activities.

The course Message Board is a great resource for discussing Windows Vista in more detail with your classmates and instructor. Visit the Message Board as often as you like throughout the course and share your comments with the class.

Take a few moments to meet your instructor and fellow students on the course Message Board and let them know a little about you.

Let's get started with the topics in Lesson 1.

Microsoft Office 2007 is a separate product from Windows Vista but fits nicely with it. Office 2007 runs on Windows XP or Windows Vista. This software suite offers a new and improved interface for Office applications, greater network and Windows SharePoint capabilities, a new XML (Extensible Markup Language) file format, customizable themes that work across applications, and much more.

Vista can be a great addition to an old PC; however, if your system's hardware isn't up to it, performance suffers, and you end up with a system that actually runs slower than it did under Windows XP. In addition, some features of Windows Vista don't work at all if your hardware doesn't support them. For example, the Aero interface is disabled on a PC with a display adapter that's not capable of supporting it.

Microsoft has provided two sets of guidelines for hardware:

• Windows Vista Capable PC: The absolute minimum requirements
• Windows Vista Premium Ready: The recommended minimum requirements for best performance with the Premium, Business, or Ultimate versions

The following table summarizes the requirements. If any portion of your current system doesn't meet the requirements, consider upgrading that component or buying a new PC. All the components listed here except the CPU (central processing unit) are fairly easy to upgrade. However, if you find yourself needing to upgrade more than one or two components, a new PC might be more cost-effective.

Table 1-1: Your machine needs to meet these requirements to run Vista.

If you don't want to wade through the details of all those specifications, go to Microsoft's Web site and search for the Windows Vista Upgrade Advisor. Microsoft provides this free service, which examines your PC's hardware and software and lets you know whether an upgrade is feasible.

The next section helps you decide which version of Windows Vista is right for you.

Windows Vista is available in many different editions, each one uniquely equipped and priced. Most of these editions are also available in either 32-bit or 64-bit versions, depending on the type of CPU you have. (Most PCs use the 32-bit version; however, if you have a new computer with a 64-bit processor, select a 64-bit version.)

The available editions are:

• Windows Vista Starter: The most basic edition, available only in emerging markets (mostly Asia and South America) and only in the 32-bit version. It allows only three applications or windows to be open at the same time and connects to the Internet but not a network.
• Windows Vista Home Basic: The simplest and least expensive edition of Windows available to the U.S. home market, aimed at the general consumer who doesn't have complex graphics or game-playing needs. It doesn't support the Aero interface. It includes Windows Firewall and Security Center, wireless networking, parental controls, home networking support, and all the basics that a home user would need.

In Europe, Windows Vista Home Basic N is offered, which is identical to Home Basic except it lacks Windows Media Player and related functionality. The same goes for the Business edition; in Europe it is Vista Business N, and it also lacks the Media Player.

• Windows Vista Home Premium: This edition supports everything the Home Basic edition does and adds Windows Media Center capabilities, such as DVD authoring and advanced photo management. It also includes some additional networking features, such as offline folders, PC to PC sync, and Tablet PC features.
• Windows Vista Business: This edition lacks some of the multimedia capabilities from Home Premium but adds business features such as the ability to connect to a domain-based network, remote desktop, encrypted file system, and support for non-Microsoft networking protocols such as NetWare.
• Windows Vista Enterprise: This is the same as Vista Business except it adds support tools useful in large networks such as Virtual PC, a multi-language user interface, and BitLocker disk encryption. It's available only via volume licensing to companies.
• Windows Vista Ultimate: This edition contains every available feature in all other editions, plus Windows Ultimate Extras (add-on features that have not yet been announced as of this writing).

For a side-by-side comparison of all Windows Vista editions, visit the Windows Vista Choose an Edition Web page.

Upgrade Versus Full Version

Most editions are available either in a full install version (for PCs with no previous version of Windows) or an upgrade edition. An upgrade edition requires that you already own Windows 2000 or Windows XP (and still have it installed on your PC or have the installation CD for it).

Buying an upgrade edition doesn't preclude doing a clean installation of Windows (as described in the next section). You can use the upgrade edition for a clean installation; however, you'll be prompted at some point in the setup process to insert a CD containing a valid previous version, for verification purposes.

Next, learn about the differences between new installation of Windows Vista and in-place upgrades.

After purchasing the right edition of Windows Vista for your needs, you're ready to install in one of two ways:

• In-place upgrade: Insert the Vista CD while Windows is running, click Upgrade, and then follow the prompts to upgrade your current system.

Pros: All your files, settings, and applications are retained. It's a simple process in which you follow the prompts. If any potential incompatibilities between your hardware or software and Vista are detected, the Setup program lets you know before it gets too far into it to abort.

Cons: All the old stuff left over from old programs is still on your hard disk and in your Registry. If you were having problems with an application or a device before the upgrade, you might still have the same problems after the upgrade.

• Clean install: Boot from the Vista CD, optionally delete the existing partition or reformat the hard disk, and do a clean installation from scratch. Or, you insert the Vista CD with Windows running, select the clean installation option, and follow the prompts.

Pros: You can eliminate most of the system problems you've been having with your PC by doing a clean installation. No incompatibilities with leftover drivers or applications remain. Your system might run faster and more efficiently than it would with an in-place upgrade.

Cons: You lose all your old files, applications, and settings; you must reinstall them after the Windows setup completes.

Not every previous version can be upgraded with an in-place upgrade. The following table summarizes the options for various versions.

Table 1-2: Use this table as a guide to the various upgrade paths.

So what's the right answer? For people who value a quick-and-easy installation, an in-place installation is best. For users who want a system that runs most efficiently and crashes least frequently, a clean installation is the better bet.

Moving On

In this lesson, you learned about some of Windows Vista's new features, and you learned how to select an edition that's right for your needs. You learned about upgrade versus full editions, and you learned how to make a determination of whether an in-place installation or a clean installation is right for you. In Lesson 2, you'll get a closer look at the new Windows Vista interface. You'll learn how to manage files, navigate the Computer window, perform searches, and run programs. Before logging out, don't forget to do the assignment and take the quiz for this lesson, and stop by the Message Board to discuss Windows Vista with your classmates and instructor. See you there.