Devoted to hardware, software, IT issues, and information technology management

Microsoft Vista is more than just ‘the latest version of Windows,’ in fact, much more. Remember that Vista is built from the ‘ground-up’ as a totally new operating system, with newfound abilities and efficiency. But the User Interface (sometimes referred to as the “gui” or “Graphical User Interface”) in Vista is out of this world.

Here, we look at the ultra cool and super sleek new user interface and it’s integrated new efficiencies. Vista is more than just visually pleasing - it’s built to work with you!

I'm sure a lot of Windows users are gearing up to get the full version of Vista with at least a upgrade coupon to help ease their pocket on the way.

Although the Redmond-based company would not confirm the program publicly, Microsoft did say "we're working with partners on this." Free or upgrade versions of Windows Vista would be available to those purchasing a new computer after October 28, 2006.

The coupon system would be valid through March 15, 2007 and the version of Vista would depend on which operating system was purchased. Not sure if the Windows Media Center Edition will be included in this program.

Details for prices include:

- Widows XP Professional, XP Tablet PC Edition, and XP x64 Edition = a free upgrade

- Windows XP Home or Vista Basic for $49 or Premium for $79

Microsoft wants to come down hard on softwares pirates looking to make a big buck out of its Vista. Betanews is reporting that Microsoft announced new anti-piracy measures being implemented in all flavors of their latest operating system, Microsoft Vista. It seems that if a legitimate copy is not bought within 30 days, the system will curtail functionality much further by restricting users to just the Web browser for an hour at a time, said Thomas Lindeman, Microsoft senior product manager. That sounds good but what happens if the internet connection is down or somehow a firewall is preventing that system from connecting to Microsoft ? Then all you have left is an expensive high-powered PC or server dedicated for piece meal internet browsing.

This also means that users who purchase the software will no longer be able to use their copy of Vista on more than one of their home computers. Bummer

Hmm...Microsoft's so-called Software Protection Program (SPP) will definitely give users a second thinking on whether to get non Windows OS suites like Linux or OS X.

Looks like 50,000 and 100,000 lucky beta testers will be getting the last release of Vista before the code goes gold in October. This follows the interim Vista build that Microsoft released on Sept. 22.

Windows Vista has been built for businesses, from the very beginning onward, and is also providing the tools and services that businesses need to help them adopt the operating system earlier than they have in the past, he said.

"From the earliest stages of Windows Vista engineering development, we had a core group of customers who would come up every few months and spend a few days with the team, reviewing early builds and giving feedback. That was then expanded to 500 TAP [Technology Adoption Program] customers to get business requirements into the product," he said.

Windows Vista Release Candidate 2 Out Soon source

According to ITweek, Microsoft’s Network Access Protection (NAP) technology may not make it into the new Windows Vista operating system as the industry struggles with network access control problems and some key players think Microsoft may just trip over its own toes. I for one had been trying to get it work in 2005 on a Cisco and Trend Micro solution but somehow even the Trend Micro specialist was stumped when certain problems cropped up. So in the end, we had to abandon that project as we could not longer waste time figuring out the intricacies.

Some interesting bits to share from the post :

Jeff Prince, CTO and chairman of network security firm ConSentry Networks, said that all existing NAC solutions, including Microsoft’s NAP, are too complex for the specific security access issues that IT managers need to address.

Jan Guldentops, director of the BA Test Labs, dismissed NAP as vapourware and said it was too complex for Microsoft to get working in time for the Vista launch, or for enterprise buyers to understand.

Microsoft’s Network Access Protection Out From Vista

Thanks to Nima Dilmaghani, who is a Developer Evangelist with Microsoft, we now know how you can get your self a free legal production version of Windows Vista installed your on PC. The fun part is you have to register for the Silicon Valley Code Camp on Oct 7,8 next month to get it. The Windows Vista Team will be on hand to install the latest RTM Vista on your machine and thereby ensuring you get a free copy of Vista Ultimate. Sounds cool ? Space is limited so..To register go here

Free Legal Production Version Windows Vista Offer source

Here's some insight into the confusing numbering system for Vista builds. Looks like they are working on Release Candidates and Release to Manufacturing versions at the same time so that they can collect some revenue for their coffers.

The Microsoft official responsible for releasing Windows Vista builds explained in an interview published on the Vista Team Weblog this week some of the intricacies of how the build numbering scheme for Release Candidates works. In the interview, Sven Hallauer, director of release management for Windows Vista, said the company currently has parallel build cycles in play for builds numbered 5400 through 5699 which are reserved for Release Candidates (RC). At the same time, it also has reserved builds numbered 5700 and above for Release to Manufacturing (RTM) -- the step following the last RC build and the code that will ultimately be released to customers.

Shoppers and PC lovers are going to love the new Windows Vista upgrade coupons from Microsoft when they buy PCs in October 2006. It seems the coupons will offer a free copy of Vista to consumers who buy PCs with the offer but its not sure if its downloadable or not. Microsoft is doing this to stop a slowdown in PC sales in the months immediately before the Vista launch. Consumers typically delay new computer purchases in anticipation of major operating system revisions and this is bound to happen this year too.

Symantec has just released an in depth report on the security of the Windows Vista kernel. This is a detailed technical report that discusses how Vista boots, how PatchGuard and Code Integrity work, as well as a technique on how to bypass them.

You can find the paper here

Vista with its new DirectX 10 API promises to give us better-looking and better-playing games and thanks to Microsoft, you’ll be having even more fun if it does comes out in 2007.

Gamespot writes that Microsoft will update the traditional collection of casual games on Windows (Minesweeper, FreeCell, Solitaire) and will introduce completely new games for Vista called Chess Titans, Mahjong Titans, and Purble Place, which are obviously designed to appeal to a large, global audience. I know my Chinese friends will love the Mahjong one.

New Games in Vista source

 

 

I find the process of booting Vista and OS X on a Macbook pretty suicidal. Why go on such a trip and make your life difficult when having Windows XP is good enough. Well, if you are wondering how it can be done, then here's the link to a great post that shows you how it can be done. Be warned though that backup is essential when you follow the dark path..



Windows Vista comes with a new boot manager, that is very flexible. I thought it would be nice if I could use that to specify an entry for Mac OS X. However, the technology is new and I cannot find many documentations about it. The FAQ in Microsoft's web site does not tell you how to create a boot loader for Mac OS X. It only tells you how to create a boot loader for legacy systems like Windows XP. I then found out that people are using a chain0 file with Vista's boot manager to dual boot OS X and Vista for the OSx86 project. I tried that, but it did not work. The problem is that the chain0 file is not for booting Mac OS X on MacBook. What I really need is already on my MacBook. It's called boot.efi and it's under /usr/standalone/i386/ . The file is hidden from Finder. You will need to use Terminal application to copy it. Here are the steps.

Steven Bink says the new Vista release (Windows Vista Build 5472) from Microsoft is fast. I wouldn’t know. I don’t have any spare machine to try this demo version yet. And you can also check out tons of screenshots over here.

 

Nero makes a mean version of its disc burning program for Linux, but it can't get it working properly on Vista beta 2 for now.

"As for now, there is no Nero version available which supports one of the Windows Vista beta versions," said Nero spokesperson Stefano Miotto. "Windows Vista support shall be ready as soon as Windows Vista's official release takes place." However, Nero did announce in late May that it has joined the "Certified for Windows Vista" logo program as an early adopter.

Nero CD Burner can't work on Windows Vista Beta 2 yet source

Microsoft plans to give a hacker conference in Asia an inside look at new security features on Windows Vista later this year, the organizer of the event said Tuesday. The company’s commitment to show off Vista to the hacker and security community is part of a long-term trend aimed at gaining greater feedback from users prior to product debuts. What ever made them think hackers will be interested beats me. They already know Vista’s bugs more than MS themselves.

 

Microsoft to Show Off Vista at Asia Hacker Conference source

 

Don’t reboot your Vista PC yet. You’re getting another good fix to solve Vista memory hogging from the good old MS guys in Redmond again but this time make sure your machines are running at least 512 Megabytes of RAM. A Microsoft executive said the updated beta will be available to Technet subscribers "in a few days." at the recent Microsoft's Velocity 2006 worldwide partner conference in Boston.

And here’s a funny statement from a Microsoft Vice President about the slow Vista, since I think it applies to all Windows software…..and not just Vista. I knew it all along ever since I’ve played with Windows 3.11 a long time ago…

"Vista in its beta form is pretty taxing on the system. It's slow and a little non-responsive," said Mike Sievert, corporate vice president of Windows client marketing at Microsoft.

 
Another Interim Microsoft Vista Beta 2 Release source

Here's something to hurt your pocket even more. If your laptop wants to have the Vista Premium logo sticking prominently, then it will have to be equipped with those pricy hybrid hard drives. Definitely a put off since it will add costs to a notebook manufacturer's line.

At a discussion of flash memory technologies to be included in Windows Vista and "Longhorn" here at TechEd 2006 this morning, Microsoft's program manager for Windows Client Performance Matt Ayres confirmed to TG Daily that inclusion of hybrid hard drives will be a requirement for mobile systems that carry the Vista Premium logo, beginning in June 2007.

Add hybrid hard drives to get a Vista Premium logo source

Don't you just hate internet traffic jams ? There's one going on at Microsoft servers right now and they ain't going to rectify it just in case some people will complain that they can't watch online video streams of the World Cup 2006. That's some BS to me but just in case, you are dying to get your hands on that big Microsoft Vista Beta 2 package, head on down to the Windows Vista Torrent site. Thanks to Chris Pirillo and Jake on this one.

Don't forget your Windows Vista Beta 2 product key through Microsoft, as the OS won't install without one.

With the Web there is a way, and Windows Vista Torrent has come to the rescue of the Web latecomer Microsoft for its public beta release of Windows Vista, for which it recommend ordering a DVD because the demand is crippling it servers. The torrent site offers an "unofficial mirroring with official validation" with its BitTorrent download for Vista Beta 2. This is not a crack, this is not a hack, this is not software piracy - it's unofficial mirroring with official validation. You can get a Windows Vista Beta 2 product key for free through Microsoft, as the OS won't install without one.


Unofficial mirroring for Microsoft Vista Beta 2 source

Windows Vista Upgrade Advisor (WVUA) is a Web-based tool geared toward home and small and medium-sized business users. Windows Vista Upgrade Advisor is a small application that you can run on your current Windows XP-based computer to find out if it's ready for an upgrade to Windows Vista. When you run the Upgrade Advisor, it will scan your computer and generate an easy-to-understand report of any known system and device compatibility issues, along with recommendations on how you can get your PC ready for Windows Vista. Microsoft plans to add functionality to Upgrade Advisor, such as checking how your software applications will run with Windows Vista. It is accessible in two ways:

1. The Web site

2. Windows Vista setup DVD

 

WVUA provides answers to these questions:

 

* Can my PC be upgraded to Windows Vista? System capabilities are compared to the minimum installation requirements.

* How can I fix any issues? Action items are provided to upgrade hardware and to update device drivers and applications.

* What will my experience be like? System capabilities are compared to recommended requirements for advanced features users are interested in. For example, if they want to run AERO, we tell them what their video card capabilities are and what they need to be. We recommend a SKU based on features users select. Obsolete drivers and incompatible applications are flagged. Also, a "green" list of everything on the PC that is known to work with Windows Vista is provided. A final release is expected about August 2006.