Windows Vista is the latest and greatest in the illustrious line of Windows operating systems from Microsoft. The successor to Microsoft Windows XP, this operating system is specifically designed to fill the needs of both business and personal users. As soon as you turn on a computer running Windows Vista, you'll notice the slick look of the new user interface. If your computer has the hardware necessary to display the Windows Aero color scheme, the high-quality visual effects will contribute significantly to your overall computing experience.
But this new version of Windows isn't just pretty to look at. It takes secure computing to a new level. In addition to providing accessory programs that help you monitor and protect your computer, it works behind the scenes to help keep malicious programs and malicious people at bay, and alerts you if a program or a person tries to make any changes that might affect the stability of the system.
After you get used to its sophisticated design and you come to rely on its new security features, you will probably start noticing the many Windows Vista features that increase your efficiency and productivity. Finding files has never been simpler or faster; simply type a word you know exists in the file you are looking for, and Windows Vista instantly shows you all the files stored on your system that contain the word. Getting the information you need to complete the task at hand is a snap; simply click the help links in windows and dialog boxes to learn about the available choices. Need to see whether a particular date falls on a weekend, keep track of the time in another country, or remove the red-eye from the photograph you want to use on your new business card? Take advantage of the many programs that come with Windows Vista to take care of these and other tasks, all from your computer desktop.
Because Windows Vista has so many new features, we don't identify them with a special margin icon as we did in previous versions of this book. We do, however, list the features here, categorized by Windows Vista edition.
Many of the features introduced in Windows Vista run behind the scenes and don't require you to do anything. We don't cover these features in this book because it is unlikely that you will have to work with them.