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One of the projects that I’ve sort of had on going since starting full time at the Help Desk is investigating Microsoft’s next version of Windows, Windows Vista. I was placed on an intra-ITS team of people from different departments within ITS. The teams purpose was to investigate Windows Vista and how it will impact ITS particularly, and the campus as a whole. As Vista is yet months away from release, I typically put this “investigation” on the backburner if I am busy with other projects or am short on time, so I haven’t gotten as far as I would have hoped in being able to use the operating system and familiarize myself with it.

This predicament has not been an issue, actually, as the first few public beta releases of Vista were not that impressive. Buggy, very much like Windows XP with a new look, etc. However, with the release of the December Community Technology Preview (CTP, build 5270), we have a fairly feature complete look at what will be in the operating system. I will post my own screen shots of what this environment looks like soon enough; however, head over to Paul Thurrott’s WinSuperSite to take a look at his screenshots if you are curious.

One of the major changes for Windows Vista will be the requirements of the hardware needed to run it. Of course, the operating system will be able to scale itself back for lesser computers (a more Windows XP look and feel), but to get the “Windows Vista Experience,” one could potentially need some hardware upgrades. Of course I’m just gauging this by Microsoft’s Vista TechNet articles on enterprise hardware preparation. The official hardware requirements for Windows Vista won’t be released until this sometime this summer. Here is a little of what I’ve learned while researching for the hardware requirements for the Help Desk:

The processor will be very important. They say that PCs “Should have a modern CPU.” Then they link to articles from Intel and AMD about which processors might or might not be good choices. Intel’s article says that any Pentium D or Pentium 4 supporting Hyper Threading should be sufficient. However, Intel recommends the Pentium 4 600 with EMT64 support. AMD claims that their Sempron, Athlon 64, Athlon 64FX, and Athlon 64X2 processors are designed to be Vista ready. The one thing all the articles say is that a 64-bit capable processor will provide the best “Vista Experience.”

The amount of memory in the computer will be important also. Microsoft recommends a minimum of 512mb of system RAM. They go on to say how 512mb may not be enough for everyone: “And while 512 MB is great for many scenarios, more advanced users will want 1 GB of memory or more.” (link to quote).

Perhaps the most important requirement for the full “Vista Experience” is the video card. The articles I’ve read agree that perhaps the only integrated graphics controller that will allow you to experience the full new interface, called Aero, is the Intel 945 graphics chipset. So what this means is that many will need to purchase an AGP or PCI Express graphics card. Microsoft also recommends at least 64MB of video memory.

The processor, RAM, and video card are perhaps the three most important hardware components to address when deciding on purchasing a new system now, or deciding whether your current system is up to snuff. I know I’ve been designing and redesigning a desktop computer for months upon months. I hope that sometime soon, I’ll have the financial capacity to act on that plan. A few days ago I went through and updated my components plan. Newegg.com was having trouble as of this writing, so I can’t post a link to my shared wishlist there, but perhaps I will when those problems end.

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