Upgrading to Windows Vista
I was going to head this: ‘Mum, I need a new computer and I need it NOW’ but then I thought it was not very funny as I am about to spend serious money.
Tomorrow I am going to buy a new PC. Two reasons. I put an electric heater near the front casing of the one I use and it melted. Not all of it, for the computer still works. But enough to make having a new one a serious option.
If I buy one from any of the major chains in England it will have the automatic option of having a free up-date to Windows Vista Premium as and when it becomes available to the great unwashed. To which I belong.
So I have to get a computer which is powerful enough to run Vista Premium (I am truly not interested in the standard version) AND the fairly wide range of programs that I use.
It is very easy to work on the basis that Microsoft’s minimum standards simply will not be good enough. Microsoft has written them so that no one is frightened off.
What I get will have to be Windows Vista Premium plus. That is, meet the base minimum and go on from there.
Microsoft says you should have at least an 800 MHz processor, 512 megabytes (MB) of system memory (RAM), and a Windows Aero-compatible graphics card that is able to handle DirectX 9, Pixel Shader 2.0 technology and support 32 bits per pixel for color depth.
The card needs at least 128 megabytes of graphics memory (although 256 megabytes of dedicated graphics memory will make life much simpler) and it must be able to run the Windows Display Driver Model software. Also known as WDDM, that is the code that lets Vista and the graphics card communicate properly.
A basic configuration would be at least a 1 GHz processor and 1 gigabyte of system memory. But this may not be enough. Dell and some other computer makers are recommending that you get two gigabytes of system memory. If Vista needs that then running with 26 Firefox windows open and Microsoft Word and Paint Shop Pro and Macromedia Dreamweaver and about four Notepads open may be a tad burdensome.
So I know before I start I need two gigs of memory and a fairly quick processor. But I think most important it that I will need a very good graphics card. This is if I want to use the Vista Aero interface and if I do not why am I bothering to use Vista at all?
I also want hard drives that spin fairly quickly because Vista is heavily dependent upon the speed of hard drives.
Looking at the computer I have now a total replacement is in order. This is going to happen to a lot of people.
The rule perhaps is if you need to upgrade three or more components — and this will pretty well always be the case if your computer is more than, say, four years old — you will be better off buying a new computer. If you are using a notebook upgrading is effectively impossible.
The Windows Vista home page of Microsoft’s site has the full system requirements.
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January 14th, 2007
Good advice – I won’t be upgrading until I need to buy a new machine – too much trouble to upgrade an old machine
January 14th, 2007
Upgrade to Ubuntu linux instead, get GLX 3D desktop if you are into eye-candy.
January 14th, 2007
I wouldn’t worry too much. The specs you speak of were on my christmas list in 2001; that is, all except the 2gb of memory.
I’m not sure you can even find a computer with a 1 gig processor, that is to say, I haven’t seen them recently, or they are so inferior that I overlook them.
As far as your video card, at the very LEAST, 126 mb is the standard; so I wouldn’t put too much concern in that.
There are many options in quick hard drives, but to stay cheap, within the IDE guidelines, your standard is a 7200rpm Ultra ATA133.
Assuming you won’t put your heater next to your computer next year, This could be your machine for the next 3-4 years. Do it right.
Hope all goes well.