Among the features in the OS are security improvements, some snazzy new graphics, and a new means of searching and organising information. Rather than having to remember the single folder where something is stored, users will be able to put documents in any number of virtual folders. They can also establish folders that will automatically update, such as "files edited in the last week" or "documents from Jane."
In addition, Microsoft is trying to simplify an array of other tasks, such as adding a PC to a home network or connecting a laptop to a projector.
When will Windows Vista arrive?
Microsoft has promised that Vista will be widely available on computers for the 2006 holiday buying season. Microsoft released the first beta, or test, version in July. The company is also issuing a series of interim builds, or community technology previews. The first of those was released in September and a follow-up version came in October and December. The company plans a business-oriented test version in the first quarter of 2006 and a more consumer-centered preview for the second quarter. The server version of Longhorn is slated for 2007.
So what's in this Vista thing?
Vista -- what used to be called Longhorn -- has evolved quite a bit since Microsoft first demonstrated an early version in 2003. The company has dropped plans to include its all-new WinFS file system and has also changed the way it's implementing a new Web services architecture, known as Indigo, and a new graphics engine, dubbed Avalon.
Among the key features of Vista as it currently stands are: security enhancements, a new searching mechanism, lots of new laptop features, parental controls and better home networking. There will also be visual changes, thanks to Avalon, ranging from shiny translucent windows to icons that are tiny representations of a document itself. On the business side, Microsoft said Vista will be easier for businesses to deploy on multiple PCs and will also save costs by reducing the number of times computers will have to be rebooted.
Microsoft is also planning to include anti-spyware tools, Internet Explorer 7, an update to its Web browser, as well as Windows Media Player 11 and Windows Calendar, a new systemwide tool designed to do for datebook information what Outlook Express does for e-mail in Windows XP.
Is that all?
No. Among the other features Microsoft has publicly confirmed are: broad IPv6 support, improved client-side caching of data stored on a server, whole-volume encryption, a revamped synchronisation engine, the ability to support laptops with an auxiliary display, automatic hard drive optimisation and a secure boot-up process that helps prevent someone from gaining access to your data if your PC is lost or stolen. There's also probably a ton of stuff we haven't heard about yet.
Is everything final?
It's getting there. Allchin said that all of the features that will be in Vista are now in the test versions running inside Microsoft, though there is plenty of work to refine how those features work and stamp out the bugs.
Will my PC run Vista?
That depends on how recently you bought it. Microsoft's Allchin said in an April interview that he expects Vista will need about 512MB of memory and "today's level" of processor. The ability to display all the fancy new graphics will depend on what type of graphics card one has. On some older machines, the graphics may look similar to today's Windows.
Will it come in the same editions as in the past -- Home, Professional, Tablet and Media Center?
Microsoft is close to a decision, but hasn't announced all the details. Allchin said there will be multiple editions and said they won't be split along the lines of Tablet and Media Center, as was the case with XP. The company has also said there will be a special "Enterprise edition" for businesses that take part in Microsoft's Software Assurance volume licensing program.
How much will it cost?
Pricing, too, is yet to be decided.
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