All I can do is tell you my thoughts on this, plus give an idea of all that is included. Ultimate is a combination of all the features of Vista Business and Home Premium. There are so many features in Ultimate that I'll probably will forget a few as I did in this Is Vista better than XP?(Update FUN FACT also X86 or X64??)
I have had fun beta testing this esp since Febuary of 2006, when all my hardware was installed and working. Have all the bugs been found, of course not, with the all the features of this OS and all of the literally millions of differant hardware, this OS has to work with, you could test for 50 years and never find all the bugs. I have noticed since I recieved Vista, that the video drivers have improved. For a while when using Vista, if I did certain things the display drivers quit, a few seconds later they would start back up with not having to re-boot.
This operating system is very highly stable and more secure than XP. You will still need a antivirus and anti-adware programs, because we will always have those who say look "What I can do to you".
I will be doing some cut and paste from my Home Premium review. But I will have written all of it.
About Windows Vista
Vista comes in 5 different versions.
Vista Basic - This is the version that has least features-No Media Center-No Aero interface. It does have Photo Gallery-Basic Aero UI - Windows Flip-Instant Search-UAC Plus many other security features-Internet-bundled applications-networking features-speech recognition-Welcome Center. This will run on most any computer with at least a 1ghz CPU and 512 meg memory.
Now all of the next versions are Aero capable, which means you need a video card that has at least 128 meg memory-directx 9 and shader 2.0 capable with 1gig of system memory. Using a Dual Displays, the video card needs 256 meg memory also for best experience the better the video card the better the experience. Of course a dual-core cpu with dual-channel will give the best experience of all.
Vista Home Premium is the one most home users will want. It has a Media Center that enables handling all your Videos, Pictures, Music and if you have a Vista Capable TV tuner card, your recorded TV Shows.
Vista Business/Enterprise
Now I did not beta test this. But I do know that it does not have Media Center. But is mainly oriented to the business side .
Vista Ultimate
For everybody's information , for a Limited time if you buy the Full Version of Vista Ultimate, you can buy 2 product keys for Vista Home Premium for $49.99 each. Ultimate is just that. It has all the features of Home Premium and Business. Plus a few added. Mostly business types or hobbyist will be the ones to buy this.
Caveat: At this time Family Discount is not working-I'll let you know here when it is working.
Good news MS thinks they have this fixed.
X86(32bit) or X64(64 bit)??
At this time I run Vista X32. I have used the X64 version and it works well. Many ofthe 32 bit programs work. The problem is that There are no applications that use the 64bit yet. So I'm waiting for when a application that will take advantage of 64 bits. That is when I'll switch to X64. I suggest that everyone does the same.
For those who are not Computer Knowledgeable
If you have not worked with a new Operating System like Vista before. I recommend that you buy a OEM PC, like from Dell, HP or whatever is your favorite. Check the reviews of the PC's. As I see it, there are only 2 Versions that really matter and that is Home Premium for most consumers and Ultimate for those who use their computers for both business and home.
If you still want to install on your current PC. Check with the manufacturer that they have Vista compatible drivers. Chipset drivers are needed. I know that VIA K8M800 and up support Vista, also nVidia nForce 3 chipsets and up do also. As far as ATI , this I don't know, I do know some of their chipset support Vista, I just don't know which ones. If at all possible is always a good idea to download system and hardware drivers compatible with Vista. Then burn to a cd, just in case.
The motherboard I'm using first became available in 2004, so just about motherboards 3 years old or less should be compatible with Vista.
If you added any hardware, make sure that Vista is or will be supported. For example in December I bought a multifunction printer, before I bought it , I checked the manufacturer website and it said that in January they would have Vista compatible drivers available. They are now supplied and my scanner, printer and fax is working very well with Vista.
Installing Ultimate
Now I will mention that the Operating System comes on a DVD. Why? Because all 7 versions from Vista Home Basic to Vista Ultimate is on the one dvd. Because Vista is componetized the different versions use different components. Also the DVD includes more drivers than were on any other Windows version. Plus 32 bit and 64 bit are on separate DVD's. Now MS has completely eliminated the Dos style of installation of Windows. It copies a mirror image of a basic version of Vista on to the harddrive-it then expands this image then restarts into Vista. At this time if your hardware is detected it is installed if the drivers are on the dvd.
Now I have always recommended a clean install. Now when beta testing I did not have a chance to do a clean install of a upgrade. Today(01/29/2007) I learned that you can only do a upgrade from within 2K/XP/Vista, that has been installed. This is a change that has been made from all the other upgrade versions. Will there be complaints-yes. Will it bother me - no.
Now if you are building your own Vista PC. Be sure that the motherboard you chose is certified for Windows Vista. Plus chose your hardware carefully as many may not have drivers. Since my first build with the MSI motherboards, I have since checked their website and they have a few that are already certified. So check your favorite manufacturer to see if the motherboard you want or have is certified. For best experience get at least 1 gig of memory and a Video card with 256 meg memory-directx 9 capable. Also make sure all your other hardware is compatible. One way is to run Upgrade Advisor. This should tell you what software is compatible and hardware. It will also tell you what version your computer will run. But be aware it is still software so it may not find all the issues, so do research to make sure your hardware/software is Vista capable.
After installing the files on the harddrive it will ask After answering language, currency and time. It will ask for the product key which is for each specific version of Vista. (For your information: if you choose not to enter a product key and instead press next-you can try other versions for a 30 day evaluation after which you will need to enter your product key or reinstall.) From here it will start putting the image on the harddrive-expanding and installing the hardware. Then it will reboot again.
From there it will then run a wizard that will help setup your PC. It will ask for a single user name and optional password. You have a choice of 8 pictures for your username. It can be changed later.
Next screen you enter PC name and chose from selection of 5 desktop backgrounds. Then you will setup the time and local date. Finally you setup the network if connected to home,work or public network.
From there it goes to a performance rating wizard- during which it gives some idea of Vista. You then goto the welcome screen where you log into your desktop. From here it is fairly simple.
X86(32bit) or X64(64 bit)??
At this time I run Vista X32. I have used the X64 version and it works very well. Many of the 32 bit programs work. The problem is that, there are no applications that use the 64bit yet. So I'm waiting for when a application (that I want or need)that will take advantage of 64 bits. That is when I'll switch to X64. I suggest that everyone does the same.
User Account Control
This is a new feature for Windows, in that if you are on a administration account. If you want to add a new program and ask if you want to continue to install. In a limited account, it will ask for a administration password to continue. This can be mildly annoying but I would rather be annoyed a little than a whole bunch, if a program or backdoor was installed that I would prefer to not have on my PC.
PatchGuard
This is a security feature that is only available on X64 Versions of Vista. There are some programs that want to add their own code to the kernal of the operating system. Kernal = core of the operating system where all the input/output devices (hardware) communicate with each other. If these programs add bad code and something goes wrong, that product is not blamed but MS is. Other operating systems have had this for a while, about time WIndows had it don't you think.
IE7 in Vista
IE runs in protected mode, which isolates the browser from the rest of the computer. IE7 now includes something that the other browsers have included for quite a while. Tabbed browsing has been finally included in IE. IE starts up only slightly faster than Firefox. Both will display a webpage at no noticeable speed difference. Now I still prefer IE to Firefox for tabbed pages, but that is my personal preference. IE also includes a popup stopper and a phising filter.
Parental control is better in Vista. You can set time limits that your kids can be online, also set what websites they can goto. Another thing you can set what programs you don't want them running or what games they play. With UAC if you visit a website that wants to install a program-it can not as UAC asks if you want it.
BitLocker Drive Encryption
This is mainly for the business man who travels with a laptop. The laptop maybe worth a few thousand dollars but the data it contains maybe worth millions. BitLocker encrypts the entire disk. I'm not sure exactly how it works but it should help protect that data. One thing I do know is make the log on password as strong as possible. From what I understand it is a little hard to setup but Ultimate Extras supplies a program just for that.
My Thoughts on MS Windows and Security
MS has really only started on providing better security with Windows 2000. XP was better still. With Windows Vista they have done a lot for providing security for us all. Yes other operating systems have had these before Windows, but if things go as they have been the next Windows will have way better security than other systems. Lets just hope once this happens MS keeps doing that, unlike as they did when they had stopped innovating IE.
Ultimate Extras
Special just for Ultimate users. Cutting edge programs, innovative services and publications that will help getting the best digital experiance. At this time(02/03/2006) only 2 are offered. BitLocker and EFS Enhancements and Texas Hold-em Game. But the one I want and waiting for, is Windows DreamScene, where you can use a high quality video loop as a backdrop on your Desktop instead of a static scene. MS has recently released a preview of DreamScene,it uses a lot of resources but I think this will improve. For a view and information on these goto this url.
http://windowsultimate.com/Blogs/Extras/Default.aspx
Media Center
Media Center is only in Home Premium and Ultimate. When Media Center is started, it asks to be setup either custom or Express. I have always done a Express setup. Then you are in Media Center. Now I have a TV tuner that works with Vista. During installation of Vista, the TV tuner card drivers are installed. In Media Center you can now setup the TV. By answering a few questions, you setup the channels, TV Guide and if you have a Media Center Remote it is also setup. After setting up you can now record TV shows/movies. Burn them to DVD's with automatically divided into chapters. You can also be watching a TV show and are called away to do something, you can pause the show then when you come back not miss one second of the show. You can also have more than one TV tuner card so that you can watch one show and record another.
One thing if like me you like to watch TV and do other things like write or surf the internet, when Media Center is at full screen-it captures the pointer so it can not be used otherwise. Minimize then pull to fill screen-then you can use the pointer to do other things. I have 2 monitors with my pc, on one (LCD) I have MediaCenter running and the other is for surfing the internet,writting reviews or whatever and anything else.
Photo Gallery
Here you can store your photo's with metatags to make finding them more easily. A friend has well over 10,000 photos. Using Vista helps her keep them well organized and easy to find. There are other tools to improve the quality. They are limited but handy for the amateur in all of us.
Music
Here you can organize in groups or by favorites or lists. I myself have not used this(yet) so that is about all I can tell you.
DVD Movies
Right from the time of installing, you can play DVD Movies in either Media Center or Media Player 11.I usually play in Media Player as I like doing other things at the same time.
I think that pictures, videos and TV all look sharper and clearer in Vista than in XP. Which is a advantage of the new Aero presentation engine.
DVD Maker
With DVD Maker you can take your videos, pictures and burn them to dvd's. I have done this and it is very easy to use. The DVD's , made by this is playable on that regular dvd player you have hooked up to your tv.
Games
There are some old favorites Hearts,Mine Sweeper and Solitaire. There are 2 new games just for kids.
Ink Ball and Purple Place Purple Place which is for the younger kids.
Plus 1 new one
Chess Titans which is a pretty good chess program-I have played it . Even at novice level the ~!@#$%^&*~!@#$% game beats me everytime
Search
Search is improved throughout the OS. It is faster and more thorough than in any other Window OS.
Backup and Recovery
Now this does work but you can only folders instead of either changed or just added files so the backup files can get rather big. Now in Ultimate there is added feature that makes this worth the price.
What this does is make a complete compressed version of your entire PC installation. This image is a complete compressed version of everything in your setup from all applications installed to documents to any and everything else. Now this will not go to your main system harddrive but needs to be on a seperate harddrive or a bunch of dvd's. Which means everything that was installed or set after this is made will not but then it also means you do not have to reset up everything.
My final thoughts on this Operating System
If your satisfied with your current OS, stay with it as there are many applications that still does not work with this OS. Many developers have said that they will not release Vista compatible software till Vista is available to the public. But I think Vista Home Premium and Ultimate is superior to all previous versions of Windows. The current system, this is on runs very nicely with Vista. Now I do plan on building a new pc and this one will be running Windows XP Pro SP2 and Windows Home Server Beta. After I build a new pc(one after that) this will go to my granddaughters with Vista Home Premium.
Now there are many other improvements in the operating system. Some can be seen. Others can not. MS has said there are many more and improved API's in Vista.
At first many will say that Vista is just warmed over XP. But as they use over time and as better programs using the API's and graphics, they will see it's way more than that.
One added fun fact
Since this is all over the net. Say you bought the Home Premium(Upgrade) version of Vista and you want to try Ultimate to see if you want it.
During installation, when it asks for the Product Key-do not put one in. Just press the next button-from there you can chose any of the versions. Chose Ultimate, it will then proceed to install. You then get a free 30 day trial. By the way this will install clean this way and another tidbit-it means you have to install Vista again-but if you opted for same as you bought- just start the install in that version of Vista-and walha- you have a clean install using the upgrade product key.
Family Discount
One thing MS added was that buyers of Vista Ultimate(Full or Upgrade) can buy 2 more keys for Vista Home Premium Upgrade for about $50 each. Which means if you buy Ultimate Upgrade or full(Upgrade $259 or less) that you can also buy 2 keys for Vista Home Premeium for about $50 each. Total cost about $359 which can save families a lot of money How long this will last I don't know, I have heard that after July, MS will decide if they want to continue doing this.
Update Dual Booting
I recently learned you can do dual boot of whatever version Windows you are upgrading and Vista. Just have another partition or another harddrive. This way if there are some applications that won't run on VIsta- you still have them to use.
New With Vista who needs Partition Magic
This I discovered by accident. In Administraive Services you can shrink or divide a harddrive into another partion, even the drive that your system(Vista) is on. This can be done in both Ultimate/Home Premium.
I will be adding to this over the next couple of weeks and beyond, so check back.
Update
Recently I was watching a DVD movie and at the same time recorded a movie on Turner Classic Movies channel. The TV or DVD movie was with out any faults.
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