TechNet Flash: Special Edition: Why should you upgrade to Windows Vista?

[PeterT]

Granted, it's a Microsoft sales pitch, but I thought there was some interesting info which made it worth posting:
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.tableSpacing td { padding-right: 5px; } Sign up for other newsletters | Unsubscribe | Update your profile Volume 10, Issue 11a: June 4, 2008

Note from the Editor


Welcome to the special bonus edition of TechNet Flash featuring content specifically selected to inform and ease your Windows Vista deployment.

When we released Windows Vista, security was clearly a top priority. However, one of the implications of the increased focus on security was that compatibility with Windows Vista was not where we wanted it to be at launch. Over the past eighteen months, Microsoft and our partners have made tremendous progress in compatibility, performance, and battery life. Here are updates on a few key facts:
• Windows Vista now supports more than 77,000 printers, cameras, speakers and other devices.
• More than 2,700 software programs are “Certified for” or “Works with” Windows Vista-logoed; 97 of the top 100 consumer applications are compatible.
• 62% of small businesses said Windows Vista saves them time, and 70% said it makes them more productive, according to an independent survey.
• More than 140 million copies of Windows Vista have been sold, making it the fastest selling operating system in Microsoft history. Even Macs run it.
• 71 percent of Windows Vista customers like it better than their last operating system.
• People familiar with Windows Vista are two to three times more likely to have a favorable impression of it.
• Every 10 PCs that switch to Windows Vista is the equivalent of taking an automobile off the road, in terms of greenhouse gases.
If you haven’t had a chance to begin your formal assessment of Windows Vista, we encourage you to start soon. Understanding Windows Vista as a "managed node" is different from understanding it as an end user. To that end, we’ve compiled below new content around Service Pack 1 improvements, security enhancements, usability, and deployment.

If you’re still on the fence with regard to deploying Windows Vista, read Technical Fellow Mark Russinovich’s Springboard article where he discusses why now may be a good time to take another look at Windows Vista. Also see Mark and a panel of experts discuss adopting Windows Vista into a desktop infrastructure. The panel features subject-matter experts and IT pros from around the world that have tackled Windows Vista deployment.

Thanks for reading,

Mitch Irsfeld Editor, TechNet Flash



Service Pack 1 Improvements
User Account Control
One of the most maligned features of Windows Vista has been the User Account Control (UAC). Designed to protect operating system integrity, UAC caused frustration with what many users considered over-prompting to complete a user action. If you were one of the frustrated, check out the very short video Windows Vista SP1 UAC improvements to see how that prompting has been reduced.
Interview with Vista UAC Product Manager Austin Wilson
Austin Wilson provides insight into why UAC is the way it is. He clears up what UAC really is, and answers some hard questions like why should a consumer or an IT pro even bother to run UAC. Additionally, he shows us how and why an IT pro can still use UAC and not get prompted, as well as giving us insight into future plans for UAC.

Keith Combs’ Blahg: Windows Vista 30, Rootkits 0
The UAC is actually there for reason, as Keith Combs points out in this post. It can stop rootkits before they start. Keith also points to a four-minute screencast to demonstrate the features of UAC. Also check out Understanding and Configuring User Account Control in Windows Vista.

Performance
There is another perception that Windows Vista underperforms in every area of the system when compared to Windows XP. Without getting into the differences in hardware requirements between Windows Vista and its predecessor, this screencast - Windows Vista SP1 outperforms Windows XP SP2 in file copy - shows the under-the-covers process traces of just how it achieves its performance lead running on the same hardware as Windows XP.


Security Enhancements
Top Security Features in Windows Vista
In this special TechNet Magazine online feature, Anthony (A.J.) Smith and Ned Gnichtel take a look at the most important security features introduced with Windows Vista.

TechNet Magazine: Managing the Windows Vista Firewall
The recent update to the Windows Vista Firewall offers some impressive new features that make it a compelling choice for the corporate environment. Jesper Johansson gives a brief overview of the evolution of the Windows Firewall and delves into enhancements, such as new rules and profiles, domain isolation, and encryption.

TechNet Magazine: Advances in BitLocker Drive Encryption
Windows Vista SP1 and Windows Server 2008 introduce important changes to BitLocker, including support for data volumes and improved protection against cryptographic attacks. Byron Hynes explores the new features, demonstrates how to use BitLocker on a server, and discusses some of the recent media coverage affecting BitLocker.



Usability
Video: What’s New for Your Users in Windows Vista (8 min 25 sec)
In this video by Michael Palermo designed for IT professionals, you will witness a few of the nice features provided in Vista that your end-users will want to know about. Most of what will be seen in this demo represents changes users will notice coming from a Windows XP environment.

Video: Advanced Features in Windows Vista (10 min 45 sec)
In this video designed for IT professionals, Michael Palermo will demonstrate some of the advanced features of the Vista operating system. You will see how to take advantage of advanced search capabilities, understand the health of the PC, and how to optimize for performance.



Deployment
Video: Hardware Compatibility (13 min 25 sec)
In this How-Do-I hardware compatibility video, Kyle Rosenthal shows how to use available resources to examine hardware in your network and then determine its compatibility with Windows Vista. He will also discuss the deployment tools that will enable you to plan and prepare for a deployment into a small and a large enterprise.

Video: Software Compatibility (22 min 11 sec)
In this video, Kyle Rosenthal shows you how to use available resources to examine applications on your network and then see if they are compatible with Windows Vista. He will also show you how to use the application compatibility tools to create solutions for non-compatible applications.

Windows Vista Migration Is Getting Easier - Try Microsoft Assessment and Planning Tool (MAP) 3.1 Beta
Formerly known as Windows Vista Hardware Assessment, the latest Microsoft Assessment and Planning Tool (MAP) will give you the ability to assess desktops and servers for OS migration and virtualization. Join the MAP 3.1 beta today and test the newest features, including desktop security assessments and Hyper-V virtualization planning.

New Microsoft Deployment Toolkit 2008 for Windows Vista SP1
The Microsoft Deployment Toolkit is now updated to support automated imaging and deployment of Windows Vista SP1-integrated operating systems.

Check Application Compatibility with Windows Vista
Did you know that, as of March 2008, there were 2,715 applications that run on Windows Vista? Check the Windows Vista Application Readiness site for a complete listing of applications that are either certified for Vista or run on Vista. Plus, see community contributed comments on compatibility.

Microsoft Windows Vista Cost and Benefit Estimator
Microsoft provides this tool to help you estimate the return on investment for deploying Windows Vista.

Webcast: Application Compatibility in 90 Days (Level 300)
In this session, we identify the tools, technologies, and best practices that have been used successfully by Microsoft services and partners to minimize or eliminate many of the perceived (and real) challenges that customers experience with both independent software vendors (ISV) and internally developed applications running on Windows Vista.



What Others Are Saying
Forrester: Don't Wait for Windows 7 to Upgrade
InformationWeek
Windows Vista Virtualization: What You Need to Know to Get Started
Network Computing
Windows Vista SP1 Survival Guide
InformationWeek
12 Windows Vista Tweaks to Boost Your PC's Performance
InformationWeek
Vista's Despised UAC Nails Rootkits, Tests Find
PC World


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In This Issue:
Service Pack 1 Improvements Security Enhancements Usability Deployment What Others Are Saying Received TechNet Flash from a Friend? Resources
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