You may be considering upgrading or purchasing new - Vista, but do you know everything you need to know before you do? There are several factors you should at least consider before you make that investment. We have gathered information from numerous sources, so you can see what to look forward to and what to watch out for.

Pros

Cons

• Aero Glass and the New UI (user interface) is the new look, with cutting edge graphics, mostly eye candy, but it’s really nicely done eye candy.
• Improved reliability and security - new cutting edge security, developed with the NSA (Security, Security, and more Security)
• Protected-mode Internet Explorer - the browser is totally isolated from the rest of the operating system
• Gadgets - drag and drop Gadgets to tell time, calculate currency, or tackle any trivial task you perform regularly
• Search or create virtual files - search throughout Vista’s new operating system  and create a virtual file folder for later reference
• New Built-In Apps
• Enhanced help
• Built-in diagnostics – is actually more dialogs explaining why an application won't run to warning you that there are driver conflicts
• New ReadyBoost feature can swap flash memory with any large USB device giving you more oomph.  And a feature called Low-priority Input/Output allows user applications to get a higher priority of system resources
• Major Kernel Overhaul
• Media Center Improvements - music, pictures and video work just the way you think they should
• Major Audio Changes

• If you want to run the latest and greatest with all Vista’s UI features enabled – you will need high-end equipment. Your current computer may not have the hardware to fully run Vista, not to mention older machines just won’t have the snuff to perform.
• Vista won't work with many graphics cards and will remove games developers' ability to cater for older systems
• Minimum of a LCD monitor capable of viewing the Hi-Definition (AERO) content
  
• Vista's Aero graphics gobble up laptop battery power
• The new Aero UI has some targets you have to home in on with your cursor, not making it easy for everyone’s eyesight,
• Incompatibility with existing software, companies will have major backward-compatibility issues of specialized software.
• Cost of migration to Vista may be more than the price of the OS itself. Installation, testing, hardware and software upgrades have to be factored in.
• Drivers not yet existing or working properly.
• New Instant Off feature for laptops (instead of sleep or hibernate) does not perform correctly.
• User Account Protection - will be security overkill on common tasks, answering a series of pop-up messages each time.
• Vista will encrypt hard drives by Default
• No support for DVD drives lacking firmware region coding
• Multiple versions may seem confusing.

Microsoft's Vista Requirements from their site

Recommended requirements to fully run Vista | Best

Home Basic |  Home Premium / Business / Ultimate

• 800 MHz 32-bit (x86) processor
  1 GHz 32-bit (x86) or 64-bit (x64) processor
• 512 MB of system memory (RAM)
  1 GB of system memory (RAM)
• 20 GB hard drive with at least 15 GB of available space
  40 GB hard drive with at least 15 GB of available space
• Support for DirectX 9 graphics and 32 MB of graphics memory
  Support for DirectX 9 graphics with:
  WDDM Driver
  128 MB of graphics memory (minimum)
  Pixel Shader 2.0 in hardware
  32 bits per pixel
• CD-ROM drive
  DVD-ROM drive
• Audio Output
  (same)
• Internet access (fees may apply)
  (same)

Additional Requirements
Actual requirements and product functionality may vary based on your system configuration. Windows Vista Upgrade Advisor can help you determine which features and edition of Windows Vista will run on your computer.

• 3 GHz 32-bit (x86) or 64-bit (x64) processor
  Any 64-bit capable Dual Core Intel or AMD CPU
• 2 GB of system memory (RAM)
• 40 GB hard drive with at least 15 GB of available space
  250GB hard drive
• Support for DirectX 9 graphics with:
• WDDM Driver
• 256 MB of graphics memory
  512MB Graphics Memory with DX10
• PCIe X16 Slot (for DX10 card)
• Pixel Shader 2.0 in hardware
• 32 bits per pixel
• DVD-ROM drive
  Dual Layer DVD Burner
• Audio Output
• Internet access (fees may apply)

Additional Requirements
Actual requirements and product functionality may vary based on your system configuration. Windows Vista Upgrade Advisor can help you determine which features and edition of Windows Vista will run on your computer.

Home Premium / Ultimate
TV tuner card required for TV functionality (compatible remote control optional).

Home Premium / Business / Ultimate
Windows Tablet and Touch Technology requires a Tablet PC or a touch screen.

Ultimate
Windows BitLocker Drive Encryption requires a USB Flash Drive and a system with a TPM 1.2 chip.

Now that we’ve covered the necessary computer requirements, it’s time to look at Vista's many flavors/versions, which may appear overwhelming. So we will try to simplify what you need to know.

There are only five versions that you need to know about. For the Home User they are - Vista Home Basic and Home Premium. For business - they are Vista Business and Vista Enterprise. Then there is Vista Ultimate, aimed at the very knowledgeable, high-end PC user, combining features of both Home Premium and Vista Business. There is another version you may see, Small Business, a variant offered by someone like a Dell or Gateway.

Home Basic
As the name implies, this version contains basic operating system features, with none of the bells and whistles, and does not support the new Aero user interface. It is a sibling to today's Windows XP Home. If all you want to do is safely browse the web, check email, create basic documents, and, play a few games, then this version is perfect for you. It promise consumers a faster, more secure and reliable experience with the security and search abilities particular to Vista

Home Premium
Is the Basic version with the AERO desktop graphical interface, which contains dynamic reflections and transparent menu bars, but this version has so much more. Take advantage of the next-generation of Media Center capabilities, including support for HDTV, DVD authoring, and even DVD ripping. Utilize more advanced home networking features and have added support for Tablet PC features. Have unified parental controls that work over multiple PCs. Connect to Xbox 360.

This version is a higher-end option, aimed at PC enthusiasts, multiple-PC homes, homes with kids, and notebook users.

Note: It turns out that upgrade versions Vista Home Premium won't accept your old XP CD as proof that you really are just upgrading-you actually have to install Vista on top of XP.

Vista Enterprise
You can't actually buy Windows Vista Enterprise from a retail location; it’s only available for volume license customers. Vista Enterprise is an instance-based, not installation-based license, meaning that Vista is licensed per user or use, rather than per installed copy. And the enterprise edition is the only edition that comes supported for 10 years rather than 5.

There are two new licensing options for Windows Vista enterprise.

· The first is for the ability to run the Windows Vista Enterprise client on a diskless computer.
A diskless PC has no hard drive. Instead, the hard drive is stored on the network, and an image of the operating system is streamed from there into the memory and CPU of the computer.

· The second is for the ability to run a client version of Windows on servers in a data center so the operating system can run locally via a thin or rich client (virtual machines). (Called the Vista Enterprise Centralized Desktop)

The centralized desktop provides a cost-effective option for companies such as brokerage firms, with the ability to view several computer monitors at once that are all attached to one PC. This way, a business can run one copy of Windows Vista Enterprise on a server and access the operating system in multiple virtual machines. The Vista Enterprise Centralized Desktop license will be available to customers that have Microsoft's Software Assurance subscription service for an additional fee.

Vista Enterprise includes all of the features of Vista Business, with the ability to encrypt an entire volume of information, (SUA) Subsystem for UNIX-based Applications, BitLocker Drive Encryption, support for multiple languages and Virtual PC integration. With Enterprise’s Virtual PC technology run four additional virtual copies of the operating system for free - for example, to run a helpdesk, for training purposes, or to perform software application testing

Note: At this early stage, analysts have said that the new Vista features - such as better graphics, deeper integration, virtualization and enhanced security - are likely to bring technical benefits, but not necessarily clear business benefits.

Vista Ultimate
This version combines all the features of Home Premium and Business, to offer the highest-end version of Windows yet. Optimized for the individual, who like gaming, entertainment and has a home network. It offers Windows Media Center, Windows Movie Maker with high-definition support and Windows DVD Maker, plus adds Game Performance Tweaker with integrated gaming experiences. It also offers business networking, centralized management tools, and advanced system backup features. Vista Ultimate is the choice for those who want to have it all. Easily shift between the worlds of productivity and play.

Exclusive to Vista Ultimate users are Windows Ultimate Extras, cutting-edge programs, innovative services, and unique publications providing a richer computing experience.