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Vista
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Vista
8:23 PM EST 3/17/06
Since we read that Vista as a desktop operating system is expected to be out by the end of the year, if we are looking at being new computers should we buy now or wait for Vista and Office 12 at the end of the year?
Re: Vista
4:52 PM EST 3/18/06 as a reply to Ed Erjavek.
That is a question that I know many sites are grappling with currently.

I would consult the Microsoft site for hardware guidelines around what would be need to support Vista. I found this page:

http://www.microsoft.com/technet/windowsvista/evaluate/hardware/vistarpc.mspx

It looks like the really big change is in the graphics processor unit (GPU) requirements and that they recommend 512MB of RAM.

"GPU — PC systems should have a graphics processor that will support Windows Display Driver Model (WDDM)."

If you do not have the GPU that handles WDDM, then it basically will just look like XP does rather than supporting the new look of Vista.

I could not find anything in regards to possible hardware/system requirements for supporting Office 12. Hope that helps.
Re: Vista
11:46 AM EST 3/20/06 as a reply to Chris Jowaisas.
Yes, I definitely think that whatever you do, make sure the hardware you buy supports it. For me though, I would probably lean towards staying with XP for the following reasons:

1. Although you read it should be out be the end of the year, as far as I know there is no official release date, so I wouldn't plan my life around a time they hope to release but so far won't commit to.
2. Do you really want to be an early adopter of a new OS? Even though this has gotten better over time, there is always a certain risk in installing the very first new release.
3. Compatibility. Are you sure that all your critical systems are going to be 100% compatible immediately? What about your security system? I would want to be very sure about this before buying.
4. TechSoup - If you buy new computers with XP this year, your should be able to upgrade to Vista for cheap in another year or so, when it is more clear that everything should go smoothly.
Re: Vista
2:50 PM EST 3/20/06 as a reply to Dale Musselman.
For those of us (like me) not quite in the loop on this new operating system, here are some links to aid your enlightnment.

Vista home page, with the Microsoft media blurb about how "Windows Vista brings clarity to your world":
http://www.microsoft.com/Windowsvista/

And here are the features:
http://www.microsoft.com/windowsvista/features/default.mspx
--User experience: "designed to help you feel confident in your ability to view, find, and organize information and to control your computing experience."
--Sidebars & gadgets: "specialized, and lightweight mini-applications that put information and tasks at your fingertips."
--Sync Center: "one place where you can manage data synchronization in several scenarios: between multiple PCs, between network servers and PCs, and with the devices you connect to your PC."
--and more ...

Looks interesting, but I'm heeding Dale's wise advice.
Re: Vista
1:05 PM EST 11/29/06 as a reply to Ed Erjavek.
Looks like you will have more time as it was just announced today that many versions of Vista would be delayed until January 2007.

Also, you might want to think about the impact on staff and patrons of an operating system (OS) upgrade and a productivity software upgrade at the same time. It might make sense if you can wait to roll them out with a little space between them depending on the level of comfort with new technologies in your library / community.

Office 12 is purported to be a very different interface from the current versions of office. PC Magazine has some screen shots here of a beta version of Office 12 -

http://www.pcmag.com/slideshow/0,1206,l=165570&s=1739&a=165566,00.asp
Re: Vista
11:27 AM EDT 6/8/06 as a reply to Chris Jowaisas.
Oliver Rist of InfoWorld recently posted this article -- "Vista Hardware: What to Buy Today for Tomorrow's OS" ( http://weblog.infoworld.com/smbit/archives/2006/06/vista_hardware.html )

I would not put off purchasing PCs. We've had to do that for several years now for budgetary reasons, and it has really put us (me!) in a big hole. I also agree with Dale, I'd personally shy away from jumping right into Vista. I'd look at buying machines with at least 1 GB RAM (preferably 2 Gemoticon, a dual core processor wherever the best price break is, and a video card that will support running Aero with at least the 128 MB RAM (preferably 256 Memoticon. I'd personally be surprised if you'd find any new system that would not meet the hard disk space requirements. If you can afford the extra RAM for both the main system and for the graphics card, I'd get it now. While it is fairly easy to upgrade either if your comfortable doing those kinds of things, it means that you have to be willing to do it when the time comes :-)
Re: Vista
11:58 AM EST 12/26/06 as a reply to Ross Riker.
A critical view of Vista: http://www.cs.auckland.ac.nz/~pgut001/pubs/vista_cost.txt

The Executive Summary: "The Vista Content Protection specification could very well constitute the longest suicide note in history."

Maybe so. I dunno ... I can barely turn my computer on. :-)