Microsoft has just released the second commercial featuring Jerry Seinfeld and Bill Gates. It comes only a few weeks after the release of the first shoe commercial between the two.
It shows Bill and Jerry trying to ‘connect’ with a real family instead of their mansions and cars. It features cameos from a fancy mustard, a cranky granny and a loser pizza boy: enjoy!
We have been getting a few emails recently asking about the different versions of Windows Vista. There seems to be a bit of confusion about the different editions and which is most suitable to purchase.
So lets get back to basics and look at all of the different Windows Vista versions available. This should make the buying decision clearer and easier.
Home Basic
Price: $199
This is the most basic version of Windows Vista available and thats exactly what it is - basic. It is great for users that only perform very simple tasks, such as web browsing, email, viewing photos etc. This is an entry level choice and wouldn’t be recommended for anyone that wants to get more out of their PC, it also would not be optimal for laptops.
Recommended System requirements for Home Basic:
Home Premium
Price: $259
Home Premium is the next step up in the Vista range and is for users that want more than just the basics. This version will provide much more in terms of digital entertainment and productivity. It also has enhanced performance and security. This version is also great for laptops and has excellent wireless and battery saving features. This version of Vista will be most useful for the average home user.
Recommended System requirements for Home Premium:
Support for DirectX 9 graphics with:
Business
Price: $299
The Vista Business version is the option for small business owners/operators. This version of Vista provides excellent security and mobility features which will help employees stay productive while out of the office. Vista Business also has improved search and organization capabilities. However, the business version does not come with Media Center, DVD Maker, Movie Maker.
Recommended System requirements for Business:
Support for DirectX 9 graphics with:
Ultimate
Price: $319
Windows Vista Ultimate is the flagship version. This has all the features and it will support everything from work needs right through to powerful media applications. You can do whatever you need with this version. It is very secure, has wireless capabilities, media editing, watch video, TV, listen to music, edit documents and much more. Get this version if you are a power user.
Recommended System requirements for Ultimate:
Support for DirectX 9 graphics with:
One very nice feature in Windows Vista is the ability to add more than 1 clock. This is very handy for keeping track of different time zones.
In Vista you can create upto 2 additional clocks for your desktop. Here is how you do it:
- Right click on your current clock
- Select Adjust Date/Time
- Click the Additional Clocks tab
- Select 1 or 2 new clocks by clicking “show this clock”. Then just select the timezone for that clock and give it a name.
Done!
We all know about the collaboration between Microsoft and Jerry Seinfeld, well here is the first TV commercial they have made about Vista.
You make up your own mind about this one.
It is common to experience some problems with the Windows Vista power options, so here are some common problems and remedies.
No Standby Option
Windows Vista has removed the standby option. So don’t worry about this.
No Hibernate Option
Windows Vista has a new hybrid sleep mode. If this is turned on, you may not see the hibernate option in the shut down menu. To change the hybrid sleep mode, you will need to access the advanced power settings.
Control Panel -> Systems and Maintenance -> Power Options.
When using the hibernate option, Windows Vista writes the data to a file called hiberfil.sys. It might be possible that you have run out of disk space and Vista can no longer write to this file. Check this if you believe the hibernate option should be available.
If you have Disk Cleanup running, it may have cleaned the hibernate file. If this is the case untick the “Hibernation File Cleaner” option.
Cannot Wake From Hibernation
If you cannot wake the computer from hibernation then you should make sure you have installed all of the latest Windows Vista service packs and hot fixes. This has been an issue in the past and Vista has released fixes.
Some common error codes that you might experience:
STOP 0×1000007E
STOP 0×0000009F
STOP 0×00000044
The other problem you might experience is waking too early from hibernation. This can be difficult to debug, so make sure you check out any external and USB devices attached to the computer, as they are most likely the cause. Also check any software that might be running or set on a schedule that may interfere with hibernation.
Previously we have discussed some of the financial and environmental benefits available with the new Vista power saving features.
Today we will discuss more about the power management features and how they work. By default the Windows Vista power managment features should be enabled, but it is worth knowing more about them, so you can implement your own power saving strategy.
The Windows Vista power features were created to reduce power consumption, but they also had the goal of making it very easy, fast and reliable to turn the computer “on” or “off”.
Previous versions of Windows had standby, hibernate and shut down. Vista has Sleep, Hybrid Sleep and Hibernation. You can access the power management features in the following location:
Control Panel -> Systems and Maintenance -> Power Options
Power modes in Windows Vista:
Sleep: The computer enters a low power consumption mode, with programs and data in memory. Restarting from the sleep mode is very fast and should only take a couple of seconds.
Hybrid Sleep: The computer enters a low power consumption mode, with programs and data in memory but the computer also writes data to disk. So if there was a power outage, the computer can be recovered to the same state. Restarting from hybrid sleep mode will be slower than in regular sleep mode.
Hibernate: Computer data is saved to a special file. If the computer is switched off or unplugged, all data is stored and state can be recovered.
Additionally, you can also set what happens when the power button is pressed, or when the lid is closed (for laptops). For example: you could set the computer into hibernate mode when the power button is pressed, instead of shutting down. The same also applies to closing the lid.
As mentioned earlier, the default settings in Vista are setup to conserve power, however, you can optimize these, based on whether you want to use sleep mode, hybrid sleep or hibernation.
Your monitor flicker or the refresh rate of your PC can contribute to problems such as eyestrain or headaches with the user.
Basically, humans can see light flickering up to 25 hertz. Anything above that level humans can not see but it can affect people, that is why you can get major eyestrain looking at a flickering light (above 100 hertz).
You should control your flickering in your PC to reduce any chance of the mentioned problems. You should control the flickering on your computers screen by reducing the refresh rate to at least 75 hertz.
To do this in Vista just follow this;
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