Microsoft tries to spread Vista far and wide

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Requirements for Vista

Sir, your words are a little misleading. Evidently, you have failed to read Microsoft's words on the matter.

1) The requirements for Vista (Even Ultimate Edition) do NOT include 2 GB of memory. 1 Gig will be sufficient even for AERO, as long as the CPU is fast enough, and the other requirements are met. If memory is below 1 GB, Vista will be installable and usable, but in most cases, AERO will not be available.
2) The requirements for Vista (even Ultimate Edition) DO include a Graphics card which has a minimum of 128MB dedicated RAM, and is DX9-capable.

I have personally installed Vista Ultimate on an Apple Intel iMac 17" containing a Dual-Core CPU -- 1.86Ghz(GEN1) -- with 1GB of RAM. I have also installed Vista Ultimate on a Dell Dimension E520 Core2 Duo, with 1GB RAM. In both cases, AERO worked perfectly, as did the base OS. In neither case did I have to add "better" hardware.

Adding a second gig of ram in both cases did improve performance, I do admit. But Vista Ultimate itself, all of it, worked just fine with 1GB.

Unless your 2 year-old laptop has less than 1GB RAM, I see no reason why Vista (one version or another) should not run on it with no trouble. But Vista will run just fine even in 512MB RAM (with AERO disabled, of course). In such a case, the Desktop will look much like XP Professional looks, but with the Vista refinements.

Your Core2 Dual desktop with 1GB ram will run Vista Ultimate (including AERO) with no problems at all, unless your graphics memory is below the minimum for AERO (128MB decidicated Graphics RAM).

But WHY does everyone want Vista Ultimate? I am personally advising folks (if they have a previous XP or 2k system disk) to purchase the Vista Home Premium Upgrade kit, which is only $159US.

Why?
1) Price, Price, Price. Why spend $399 for Vista Ultimate, when it has little added usability beyond Vista Home Premium.
2) Both Vista Ultimate and Vista HOme Premium have the AERO desktop. In fact, Vista HOme Premium is even better than XP Professional, when you get right down to it. It is only lacking the advanced business features (such as shadow-copies) found in Vista Business Edition. Unless you absolutely NEED to use shadow-copies and advanced business features, Home Premium Upgrade Edition is more than adequate for a home network, and has the same media features as Vista Ultimate Edition, for a price very close to the old Generic OEM price of XP Professional (about $129-$179), with the addition of being able to transfer the license to a different machine if necessary.

Why spend $399US for a few extra features you will probably never use, when you can spend $230US less for all the features you will always use? You may have an extra $230US to spend, but I certainly don't. And I just don't NEED those few extra features.

Donald L McDaniel

Posted by: orthocross   Posted on: 01/22/07 You are currently: a Guest | Members login | Terms of Use

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