Microsoft introduced six different versions of the Windows XP operating system, but it was aligned to different types of PC hardware, not the way people use these computers. Similarly, in December 2005, the Korean Fair Trade Commission ordered Microsoft to make available editions of Windows XP and Windows Server 2003 that do not contain Windows Media Player or Windows Messenger. Similar to the European Commission, this decision was based on the grounds that Microsoft had abused its dominant position in the market to push other products onto consumers. With the exception of Windows Vista Starter, all editions support both IA-32 (32-bit) and x64 (64-bit) processor architectures. Microsoft ceased distribution of retail copies of Windows Vista in October 2010; OEM distribution of Windows Vista ended in October 2011.

Windows Vista received mixed to negative reviews at the time of its release and throughout its lifespan, mainly for its much higher hardware requirements and perceived slowness compared to Windows XP. Booting a system using Extensible Firmware Interface on x64 systems was also introduced; this feature had originally been slated for the initial release of Vista but was delayed due to a lack of compatible hardware at the time. Booting from a GUID Partition Table–based hard drive greater than 2.19 TB is supported . Areas of improvement include file copy operations, hibernation, logging off on domain-joined machines, JavaScript parsing in Internet Explorer, network file share browsing, Windows Explorer ZIP file handling, and Windows Disk Defragmenter. The ability to choose individual drives to defragment is being reintroduced as well.
How much RAM can 64-bit use?
Windows Vista Starter edition is aimed at low-powered computers with availability only in emerging markets. Windows Vista Home Premium covers the majority of the consumer market and contains applications for creating and using multimedia. Windows Vista Business is specifically designed for small and medium-sized enterprises, while Windows Vista Enterprise is only available to customers participating in Microsoft's Software Assurance program. Windows Vista Ultimate contains the complete feature-set of both the Home and Business editions, as well as a set of Windows Ultimate Extras, and is aimed at enthusiasts. As a result, BOOTMGR in Windows Vista and later versions replaces the functions performed by NTLDR in all Windows NT versions up to Windows XP and directly executes winload.exe, the system loader used to continue the Windows boot process. Windows Vista also does not include the Windows XP "Luna" visual theme, or most of the classic color schemes that have been part of Windows since the Windows 3.x era.

Within its first month, 20 million copies of Vista were sold, double the amount of Windows XP sales within its first month in October 2001, five years earlier. Shortly after however, due to Vista's relatively low adoption rates and continued demand for Windows XP, Microsoft decided to sell Windows XP until June 30, 2008, instead of the previously planned date of January 31, 2008. There were reports of Vista users "downgrading" their operating systems back to XP, as well as reports of businesses planning to skip Vista. A study conducted by ChangeWave in March 2008 showed that the percentage of corporate users who were "very satisfied" with Vista was dramatically lower than other operating systems, with Vista at 8%, compared to the 40% who said they were "very satisfied" with Windows XP.
Installation
Comparable to Windows XP Professional, Windows Vista Business Edition targets the business market. It includes all the features of Home Basic with the exception of Parental Controls and can join a Windows Server domain. It includes Encrypting File System, Internet Information Services, Offline Files, Remote Desktop, Rights Management Services, Shadow Copy, and Windows Fax and Scan. Backup and Restore also allows users to create disk images of operating system installations.Windows Vista Business supports up to two physical CPUs, and the 64-bit version supports 128 GB of RAM. The Windows Vista DVD disc includes a Windows Imaging format of the code, so whether you buy the Home Basic edition or the Ultimate edition, the code remains the same; only the product key unlocks your specific set of features.

This utility will also guide you through troubleshooting; the dashboard will indicate whether the root cause is a broken link, faulty equipment or resource overload. Let me start with a few questions to help you decide which edition is best for your circumstances. To clarify the semantics, most people refer to them as Vista Versions, however, Microsoft are pushing the phrase ‘Vista Editions’, I use the term Vista version and Vista edition interchangeably.
Recommended system requirements
Each was executed on a default Windows Vista installation within a standard user account. UAC effectively blocked over 50 percent of each threat, excluding rootkits. 5 percent or less of the malware that evaded UAC survived a reboot. Improved audio controls allow the system-wide volume or volume of individual audio devices and even individual applications to be controlled separately. New audio functionalities such as room correction, bass management, speaker fill, and headphone virtualization have also been incorporated. Windows DVD Maker, a companion program to Windows Movie Maker that provides the ability to create video DVDs based on a user's content.
However, you should keep in mind that you’ll need to clean up all your files before migration. If you are unsure which version of Windows Vista you have, here are some things to look for. However, if you purchased your Vista system digitally, you will only receive one version.
However, some network administrators may block access to this option, so you may need to use an alternative method. To check this information, go to the Start button, and then click “Computer.” From there, right-click Computer, then select “Properties.” On the next screen, you’ll see the Windows version. Prevent malicious users from running harmful code or launching a denial-of-service attack on your Windows XP system.
Unlike that decision, however, Microsoft was also forced to withdraw the non-compliant versions of Windows from the South Korean market. This decision resulted in Microsoft's releasing "K" and "KN" variants of the Home and Professional editions of Windows XP in August 2006. That means there won’t be any further Vista security patches or bug fixes and no more technical help.
While in 2005 Microsoft claimed "nearly all PCs on the market today will run Windows Vista", the higher requirements of some of the "premium" features, such as the Aero interface, affected many upgraders. According to the UK newspaper The Times in May 2006, the full set of features "would be available to less than 5 percent of Britain's PC market"; however, this prediction was made several months before Vista was released. This continuing lack of clarity eventually led to a class action against Microsoft as people found themselves with new computers that were unable to use the new software to its full potential despite the assurance of "Vista Capable" designations.
And there are far too many dependencies on Microsoft products; this is not a very objective operating system, as preference is always given to Microsoft products , from MSN search to RSS feeds only from Internet Explorer. It's just a disappointment for PC users who hoped that Microsoft would deliver something truly exciting to finally leapfrog ahead of Apple. Windows Vista Service Pack 1 is due out sometime before the end of the year. Windows Vista SP1 promises to fix what's known to be wrong within Windows Vista and should offer a few concrete reasons to switch. Aero is part of the Windows Presentation Foundation, a subgroup of the .Net Foundation Framework, an underlying foundation for developers to build new applications.