News (49)

  • Microsoft to extend life of XP for low-cost PCs

    Microsoft has said it will only further extended the life of Windows XP Home Edition, and only for low-end computers that have no chance of running Vista.

  • Experts: Don't buy Vista for the security

    Windows Vista is a leap forward in terms of security, but few people who know the operating system say the advances are enough to justify an upgrade.

  • Sydney welcomes new Vista

    After more than three years in the making, Windows Vista will be unveiled to corporate users on Thursday by vice president, Microsoft Australia and New Zealand, Steve Vamos.

  • False alarm over Windows support deadline

    Microsoft is making changes to its support Web site in an attempt to clear up confusion over its plans for the consumer editions of Windows XP.

  • Evidence mounts for premium Vista

    With Windows Vista, Microsoft is considering a product line-up that would include several new high-end editions of the operating system.

Blogs (3)

  • Read the blog post - Munir Kotadia

    Six different Vistas, same old view

    As we slowly creep closer to the launch of Windows Vista, it seems that the six different versions of Microsoft's new operating system are for the benefit of the company's PR machine rather than its customers.

  • Read the blog post - Munir Kotadia

    Microsoft OneCare only cares about one...

    I found out last week that although Windows Vista will have a snazzy new firewall, by default it will be set to block only incoming traffic -- unless you decide to pay Microsoft an extra US$50 a year...

  • Read the blog post - Alex Serpo

    How many Windows 7s will there be?

    The internet has been awash with rumours about Windows 7, with a pre-beta release being handed out to attendees at the Professional Developers Conference in the US this week. But how many Windows 7 versions will there be?

Features and Case Studies (17)

  • 10 things to do before installing Vista

    Windows Vista's enhanced functionality and snazzy Aero Glass visual effects will demand steeper hardware requirements for the machines you support. Check this list to make sure you cover all the bases before deciding what Vista versions those machines will be able to run.

  • Photo gallery: A view of Microsoft Vista

    Microsoft has released its new operating system to hardware manufacturers. Take a look at some of the features new in Windows Vista, with our photo gallery.

  • What's new in Windows Vista?

    Don't want to take Windows Vista for a test drive until you know what it has to offer? Join Windows expert Deb Shinder for a visual tour of Beta 2 as she points out some of the more dramatic changes and shares her impressions of the new OS.

  • Ballmer discusses life after Vista

    There's still a lot Microsoft wants to do with Windows, and it has its work cut out with Zune, says Microsoft's CEO, Steve Ballmer.

  • Allchin: Buy Vista for the security

    If you aren't impressed by the OS update's flash new features, consider getting Vista for its tougher defences, Windows chief Jim Allchin says.

Reviews (40)

  • Windows Vista Home Premium

    Windows Vista Home Premium is essentially warmed-over Windows XP Home Edition. If you're currently happy with Windows XP SP2, we see no compelling reason to upgrade. On the other hand, if you need a new computer right now, Windows Vista Home Premium is stable enough for everyday use.

  • Windows Vista Home Basic

    Windows Vista Home Basic is essentially warmed-over Windows XP, Windows XP SP3. If you're currently happy with Windows XP SP2, we see no compelling reason to upgrade. On the other hand, if you need a new computer right now, Windows Vista is stable enough for everyday use.

  • Dell customers want XP, not Vista

    After adding it back as an option for small businesses, Dell offers the older OS on consumer machines in response to demand in the US.

  • Microsoft Windows Vista SP1

    A little more than one year after its release, Windows Vista will receive its first service pack update in March. Microsoft says the pack will offer better compatibility with third-party hardware, increased reliability, tighter security, and better performance. Our tests disagree.

  • Windows Vista Business

    Windows Vista Business is essentially warmed-over Windows XP. If you're currently happy with Windows XP SP2, we see no compelling reason to upgrade. On the other hand, if you need a new computer right now, Windows Vista is stable enough for everyday use.

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Blogs

  • David Braue NBN needs workers on board
    Without consensus on labour issues, the eventual winner of the NBN may end up as little more than a lame duck and a cashed-up symbol of the conflict between the desire for progress and the lack of mechanisms to deliver it.
  • Array D'Ascenzo: Read p23 of security review
    Following yesterday's admission by the Australian Taxation Office that its courier had lost a CD containing the details of 3,000 self-managed super funds, it wants to review how it handles information. My suggestion: go back to the review completed in April.
  • Array Opening the floodgates on missing drives
    News headlines about portable storage devices going missing are as common as muck, but the problem could be even more widespread than you suspect.
  • More blogs »

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