SON SON
Windows are best kept transparent, Microsoft appears to have decided. This is one of the most obvious new twists to the freshly released Windows Vista operating system. But the [more] software also has lots of other snazzy surprises in store for users. While hardly a revolution, users can look forward to a collection of more-or-less helpful utilities for their computers.
Vista customers can actually expect several thousand new functions, Microsoft claims. Most of them are hidden underneath the hood, so to speak. One eye-catching element is the new graphical interface, dubbed Aero. It is remarkable first for its semi- transparent windows. Open several windows at once, and you can still see which other folders and documents are open beneath them. This is not exactly trailblazing in the world of operating systems, though. Transparent windows are also available in Apple’s Mac OS X and with various Linux versions.
Microsoft went one step further, however, with its Flip 3D function. This positions all opened windows one behind another, slightly offset. Switching between the individual windows is somewhat easier than with XP, because the windows can be paged through using the scroll wheel, for example.
The effect is not for everyone, though. Axel Vahldiek from Hanover-based c’t magazine doesn’t have any great love for the function. “I don’t see any big benefit in it,” he says. Some of his colleagues swear by the function, however, he admits.
The desktop search is certain to be a major convenience. It finds objects not just based on folder or file names, but based on the contents of a documents itself. Typing “Lara” into the search filter, for example, will pull up all e-mail messages and Word documents containing the word “Lara.” The searching is launched as soon as the first letter is typed in.
The Windows Photo Gallery may bring joy to anyone with a large collection of digital photos on the computer. The software imports photos from a camera or scanner onto the PC, and also offers simple photo editing tools.
“The program also locates photos based on their shooting date,” says Microsoft product manager Vanessa Weihbrecht. This involves an analysis of the Exif data transferred over from the camera.
The Sidebar is intended to provide a quick overview. It is a collection of little programs that – presuming an internet connection is available – retrieve specific information in real time. That can be weather reports, stock quotes or sports scores, for example. These programs, known as widgets, are available for free download from Micfrosoft. “Over time, a lot of tools will accumulate there,” Windows expert Axel Vahldiek is certain. But the most important aspect of Windows Vista is one that Vahldiek feels is not perceived at first glance: “The security has been greatly improved.”
Laptop owners should have a look at the Windows Mobility Center: “One windows contains all data relevant for working with a mobile computer,” promises Vanessa Weihbrecht. That includes information on the battery level, the WLAN connection and synchronization status, for example.
Vista comes with Internet Explorer 7, Windows Media Player 11 and the anti spyware software Windows Defender. None of these programs are likely to make people convert to Vista, however, since they are already available for Windows XP. In fact many of the functions tucked into Vista are already available for free, claims Peter Knaak from the German consumer testing group Stiftung Warentest in Berlin. Which means each user ought to decide on their own just how see- through they need their windows to be.