Windows Vista In The Chicopee Windows Vista In The Chicopee Public School SystemPublic School System

HypothesisHypothesis

• Would using Windows Vista on new computers benefit the Chicopee Public School System?

BackgroundBackground

• Vista is the newest operating system since Windows XP which was released over 5 years ago.

• Originally Vista was scheduled to be released in 2003, but was pushed back to tighten the software’s security.

Background Cont.Background Cont.

• It was then rescheduled to be released in late 2006, but to give Microsoft and their software and hardware vendors more time to prepare for launch, it was yet again pushed back till January 30th 2007.

• Vista has been in “beta” testing for a few years now and has been tested by Telecom over the last several months using the Release Candidate 1 (RC1) version.

System RequirementsSystem Requirements

Vista Capable Vista Premium Processor 800 MHz 1 GHz Memory 512 MB RAM 1 GB RAM Graphics Card DirectX 9 Capable DirectX 9 Capable, Hardware Pixel Shader

v2.0, and WDDM Driver Support Graphics Memory 32 MB 128 MB HDD Capacity 20 GB 40 GB HDD Free Space 15 GB 15 GB Other Drive CD-ROM DVD-ROM

Features - AppearanceFeatures - Appearance

• Aero – New graphical user interface

• Flip/Flip3D – Updated Alt/Tab

• Live Taskbar Thumbnails

• New Start Menu

• Updated Explorer Window

• Windows Sidebar

Features - PerformanceFeatures - Performance

• Sleep – Fast startup and shutdown

• ReadyBoost – Flash memory increases cache size

• ReadyDrive – Hybrid HDDs help performance and battery life

• SuperFetch – Memory management

Features - SecurityFeatures - Security

• Windows Defender – Antispyware

• User Account Control

• Firewall

• Internet Explorer 7 Protected Mode

• Windows Service Hardening

• Backup and Restore Center

Features - MobilityFeatures - Mobility

• Windows Mobility Center• Three Power Plans• Improved Battery Meter• Multiple Monitor Support• Presentation Settings• Tablet PC support built in• Sync Center• Sleep – combines hibernate and standby

Features - OtherFeatures - Other

• Desktop Search

• Windows Media Player 11

• Speech Recognition

• Windows Calendar

• Windows Mail

• Windows Photo Gallery

Vista AdvantagesVista Advantages

• Improved Security

• Find and Use Information Effectively

• Better Hardware Compatibility

• Increased Performance and Reliability

• Enhanced Mobile Computing

• Convenient New Features

Vista ProblemsVista Problems

• Software Compatibility

• High System Requirements

• Higher Computer System Cost

• Steep Learning Curve