How to Choose the Right Version of Vista

Windows Vista Home Basic, Windows Vista Home Premium, Windows Vista Home Ultimate and then Windows Vista Business and Windows Vista Enterprise too?! With all these different versions of Microsoft’s new operating system, it seems like a daunting task to choose the right version of Vista. But don’t freak out. Take a deep breath, think about your needs and then read these steps.

Instructions

Difficulty: Easy

Things You’ll Need:

• Support for directx9 graphics
• 1 GHz processor
• 20 GB of hard drive space
• DVD-ROM drive
• 1 GB of RAM

1. Take a look at your system. If you are upgrading from XP on an old machine, you’ll want to figure out if your system can handle Windows Vista. If you still have the sticker on your tower, take a look at that to find out the specs, or click Start>Settings>Control Panel>System. Take note of your RAM and video card especially.
2. Don’t get Windows Vista Home Basic version. Unless your hardware won’t be able to handle Windows Vista Home Premium, there is no reason to get this watered down version of Vista for only $60 less. You’ll miss out on Aero and Media Center and probably end up needing to upgrade your machine (and your OS) in the near future anyway.
3. Consider Windows Vista Business. If you use your machine primarily for work, Windows Vista Business might be a good choice. It lets you access resources on Windows Server domains and use the Remote Desktop tool.
4. Get Vista for your handheld? If you have a relatively powerful tablet PC, buy Windows Vista Premium, Windows Vista Ultimate, Windows Vista Enterprise or Windows Vista Business in order to use it on your handheld or PDA. But make sure you check to see that your device meets the minimum hardware requirements for the version.
5. Go 64-bit. Power users with more than four gigabytes of system memory that want to beef up their applications might want to install the 64-bit version of Vista. It looks identical to the 32-bit version but allows you to use both 32-bit programs and 64-bit programs (which are generally much more powerful).
6. Get Windows Vista Ultimate if you want it all. Windows Vista Ultimate combines the productivity features of Windows Vista Business and the media features of Windows Vista Home Premium. It costs a bit more, but you get more.
7. Stick with XP, perhaps. If you don’t have at least one gigabyte of RAM, a decent graphics card and 20 gigabytes of hard disk space to spare, stick with Windows XP for now. It’s very possible to get by on XP for now.

Tips & Warnings

• Consider upgrading your machine as you upgrade your OS. You can buy a Vista-ready machine with Vista pre-installed and be sure that it will run smoothly.
• If you use Windows XP Professional already, Windows Vista Ultimate or Windows Vista Business are logical choices for your upgrade.
• If you run IT for many systems at work, you might want to consider the Windows Vista Enterprise version. It’s much more cost-effective and gives you the features you need for business.
• The Remote Desktop tool is very handy. It lets you access the contents of your desktop at home from the road on your laptop. You can send yourself files or copy emails that you forgot at home and desperately need.
• Generally, Windows Vista Home is more geared towards multimedia (recording TV shows, watching videos, downloading music) and Windows Vista Business is more ideal for work (using Windows Domain servers and Remote Desktop).
• Later on, you will be able to upgrade your version of Windows Vista with a credit card. Stay tuned for the next service pack.
• It’s far cheaper to upgrade than to buy Vista alone.
• It can be difficult to find 64-bit drivers for Windows Vista.
• If you are upgrading from XP, you need to still have your XP CD around.

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