When all the bells and whistles that go along with Vista are eventually released in the final version, your computer hardware will need to be up to the task of running as smoothly as you’re accustomed to. Vista will provide you with a totally revamped computing experience. Their codename for this is called the Aero Glass user interface. Let’s just say that Windows will definitely get a facelift and you just have to see it to believe how nice it will look. But to best answer the preparedness question, one should start to take an inventory on the computer you are working on. First ask yourself how old is the computer itself. Generally if your computer is more than two years old, you may have problems when moving to Vista. Microsoft has defined two different classifications for your computer pertaining to the effect its power will have on the user experience coined as Vista-Capable and Vista-Premium. Vista-Capable systems will have the Aero Glass user interface disabled, and will be presented with the more familiar static Windows experience that XP has offered in the past. Vista-Premium is what you really want to strive for.

The three main criteria that determine your computer’s classification are the amount of system memory (known as RAM), the system processor, and the video card. Windows Vista will require 512 MB of system RAM to even install on your computer. Again, if your computer is more than two years old, you may be running with only half that at 256 MB or less. The system processor or CPU plays a less significant role in the mix because today’s modern processors, even those introduced a few years ago are fast and complex enough to keep up with the operating system. The most important piece to the puzzle in my opinion is the video card. Vista will tax the video card the most with its dazzling visual effects along with storing those effects in video memory and system RAM.

Vista looks to be a very promising and exciting product for both Microsoft and everyday computer users. There will be numerous stability, performance, security, and usability enhancements to popular components such Internet Explorer, Media Player, Office and many other key Windows technologies. As with the ever changing technological world we live in, improvements require change, and change requires bigger, faster and more complex systems to accomplish every day tasks.