• Yeah! Windows Vista must look great!
• I can surely find a Vista theme and my Windows XP will look just as great.
• There is not much it can give me, except for a better look and a slower system.
• Regarding security on the Internet, upgrading Internet Explorer 6 to 7, or just dropping it in favor of Mozilla Firefox would be more than enough.
• Regarding viruses and malware, you always end up depending on programs from third parties.
• Regarding security in general, if adequately configured, Windows XP can be secure enough.
• If you really want a secure system, go with a flavor of Linux/UNIX.
• And if you really want a beautiful and easy to use computer AND operating system, buy a Mac with MacOS X.
• All the people I know that got Vista had it preinstalled in their brand new laptops, so it’s obvious I need a new PC to run it.
• The new PC must be top of the line, expensive (lots of memory and a really fast processor).
• There are too many versions and no one really knows what the differences between them are. Should I choose Vista Starter, Home Basic, Home Premium, Business, Enterprise or Ultimate? Should I choose the 32bit or 64bit version?

Time ago Internet Explorer got out and began being integrated deeper and deeper into the operating system. Now we had Windows Explorer for the inside and Internet Explorer for the outside, and we got Back and Forward buttons in our folder windows to navigate through files more easily, the way we got accustomed with the Web.

Also, the Location Bar in Windows Explorer that showed what directory (folder) on the hard disk we were working at, accepted the input of Internet addresses (WWW and FTP) and made Windows Explorer windows morph into Internet Explorer ones.

Then we had Web content embedded into the Desktop and “Web views” of folders, too, and more and more help guides and tutorials began looking like Web pages, when not being expressly made in HTML.

Now, what actually sparked this post, is that many options that were identified and accessed to by icons in Windows XP and previous incarnations, are now accessed through hyperlinks, just as if they were menus on a Web page. The funny thing is that on the same day I read a related article on Jakob Nielsen’s website, I got my first look at Windows Vista Basic, and faced the exact same usability issues he pointed out so well.

I guess this path of integration with the Web will just continue to grow, and the dividing line between the desktop GUI and the Web GUI will disappear eventually, with more and more applications now available from the Web and the value of non-networked PCs being close to nil. The network is the computer, said the visionaries at Sun years ago, and only now we are really getting it.

This is what Microsoft has to say about the Remote Connection features in the Windows Vista Ultimate product description:

“Using Remote Desktop Connection, you can access and control your PC remotely. This feature of Windows Vista Ultimate makes it easier to more securely access documents and programs on your computer remotely. You can gain remote access from across your home network, work network, or across the Internet from another computer, enabling you to get work done wherever you have a network connection.”

Strangely enough, though, with further reading in the Microsoft website, this Remote Connection seems to be intended only for business users, so as they can access their corporate network while away. It’s only present in the Windows Business and Ultimate editions.

They speak about accessing internal applications and “resources” in general, but I failed miserably to find information on remote connections for the little guys that just want to get into their home or office PC so as to get a hold of a picture or document they need, or for the ones that want to be able to help out their folks when they call in desperation because something is not working or because they think they have a virus or malware problem.

I am yet to try the remote connection myself and plan to keep looking for information on this subject, but in the meantime, I would appreciate any comments or additional information you may have related to this post.

Whether you think the changes are worth the money spent in upgrading the software and (most likely) upgrading your old computer or buying a new one, one thing you can expect for certain is to find that Windows Vista is a positive and rather natural evolution of Windows XP.

Maybe it took too long to develop, and most of the things it offers are not really new to the market, but working with it is easier (common tasks are simplified), users are indeed more secure (there are restrictions and safeguards at many levels) and it surely does look better (windows, dialog boxes, folder views, buttons, icons and backgrounds have been upgraded).

You may check a few Flash presentations that the Microsoft team prepared on Ease of Use, Safety and Entertainment with Windows Vista at http://www.microsoft.com/windows/products/windowsvista/seeit/

Also, by adding the (upper) docking bar for the most commonly used programs, it builds upon the usability improvements that you can enjoy with the (lower) Apple Mac OS X Dock, so you might find the new style not only pleases your eyes, but saves you some time in your everyday tasks, too.

You may download the pack here:
http://www.crystalxp.net/galerie/en.id.130.htm