Friday, March 30, 2007

More Vista Notes...


Some other notes on Windows VISTA…

Microsoft developed VISTA with something they call the Secure Development Lifecycle. The largest part of the new O/S is security. Yes it looks pretty, but security was the overall goal. Vista comes with the UAC (User Account Control) and Windows Defender (Anti-Spyware). There are 2400 GPOs (Group Policies) and PERFMON (Performance Monitor), which shows when software was installed, patches downloaded, spyware or malware installed, and registry changes. It can tell where and what is slowing down your system. Overall, the security has a large presence and so far, it has made me feel more secure and safe using Windows VISTA. I also fell in love with the Instant Search feature. It’s available almost everywhere you look in VISTA. It’s located in the Start menu, Each Explorer window, and in the Control Panel.

AERO is what makes VISTA look futuristic and “beautiful.” It has the ability to use Flip 3D. Microsoft took a page out of Apple, but it’s works great – Just hold down the tab + Windows key and you can flip through each open program just like a Rolodex. AERO is available on Home Premium, Business, and Ultimate. I’m not sure about Enterprise, since it’s for multi-installation use. My big question this week was – How come BitLocker is only available with the VISTA Ultimate Edition and VISTA Enterprise? Why doesn’t it come with VISTA Business? That would make sense, right? Well – the general feeling was Microsoft did not want to get caught up in lawsuits where companies using BitLocker in Business Edition lost data or could not get to it for being too secure – so they left that up to a third party vendor. There’s more to come on that topic once I find out.

Stay tuned.

Compatibility Issues with Windows VISTA

Several computer users may notice that various software programs are not compatible with Microsoft Windows VISTA. Users of these select programs will need to check with the software manufacturers for updates and patch information before going forward.
Here is a list of known software with Vista compatibility issues:

• Adobe InDesign CS2
• Adobe Reader 7
• Adobe Acrobat 8
• Google Desktop Search
• MSN Messenger 7.0
• Norton Antivirus 2004/2005
• Norton Internet Security 2004/2005
• Pinnacle Studio 10
• Quicken 2006
• Spybot Search and Destroy
• Trend Micro PC-illin Internet Security
• Remedy ARS

IT Conference T-Shirt of the Week

IT Conference T-Shirt of the week:

Geek ('gek), noun.

1. Obsessive computer user: Somebody who enjoys or takes pride in using computers or other technology, often to what others consider an excessive degree.

2. Someone with greater than normal computer skills.