Windows Vista Beta 2

Microsoft recently unleashed the second Beta version of Windows Vista--this time on the unsuspecting public rather than just developers. The Windows Vista Customer Preview Program allows you, me, your uncle, and everyone with a punchy PC to get a sneak peak at what Microsoft will offer with the next version of Windows. But getting involved with beta software can be risky; especially when you're talking about this operating system that is (as of now) rather unstable. You may not have the time or the guts to give Vista a try yourself--but I sure do.

Aero

Most of the eye candy that comes standard with Vista is powered by Aero. If your graphics processor supports it, you'll be able to enjoy advanced, Apple "OS X-like" visual features including live taskbar thumbnails, which display a preview of each window in the taskbar, and Flip 3D, which stacks Windows in the middle of the screen for easy identification and selection. Aero also adds a blurred transparency effect at the edges of windows and makes simple tasks like opening, closing, maximizing, and minimizing visually appealing with fades and animations.

The best thing about this is that I haven't experienced any performance issues as a result of the cosmetic enhancements.

Sidebar and Gadgets

The new Sidebar with Gadgets in Vista is like the Dashboard with Widgets in OS X. Each Gadget allows you to complete a simple task or access information directly from the desktop. Vista Beta 2 came with several Gadgets including Calculator, CPU Meter, Currency Conversion, and Feed Viewer. More will be downloadable when Vista arrives in 2007. Anyone came make a Gadget with relative ease, so you might spot a gmrblogs Gadget if I find the time.

Better Organization

With Vista's improved user interface, it should easier to locate files by browsing. But, if that fails, a new search is ready to find what you're looking for. Unlike the Windows XP search, Vista actually makes searching worth your time. Like Spotlight on OS X, Vista's instant search provides results as you type and organizes them in a sensible way. The new start menu does away with the menus that expand all over your screen, replacing them with a simple scrolling list of directories that are confined to a reasonable area.

Vista's rebuilt explorer windows looks as though they were inspired by OS X and some Linux desktop environments. The entire directory tree is displayed at the top of the window, making it easy to move around with a few clicks, and information about the selected item is presented at the bottom of the window.

Internet Explorer 7

Oh, Internet Explorer--the browser that many of us love to hate. We've seen how FireFox makes browsing the web fun again. But Microsoft has caught on. When IE 7 ships with features like tabbed browsing, RSS feed support, and enhanced security, you'll find it more difficult to spread the good word of Mozilla. IE 7 also boasts live previews, a cool feature that I haven't seen with FireFox (although, someone is probably working on an extension right now). It displays a thumbnail of all your tabs in a gallery, so you can easily find what you're looking for.

Sideshow for Notebooks

Windows Vista allows for notebook manufacturers to include a detachable display that will provide access to your appointments, contacts, and recent E-mail messages without having to turn on the computer. This technology could expand to support MP3 players, cell phones, and other personal devices at some point.

Does your system make the cut?

All of these features sound great, but what's the point if your PC can't handle it? Microsoft is trying to make it easy for you to figure out if you'll be able to run the new OS. Their Windows Vista Upgrade Advisor is an application (also in beta) that will scan your system and spit out a simple diagnosis based on hardware capabilities and compatibilities.

I'm running Vista on a machine that I built about two years ago. I installed it on a separate partition that I created on a secondary hard disk.

• Intel Pentium 4 3.00 GHz with Hyper-Threading (32-bit)
• 1 GB of RAM
• 400 GB hard disk space with about 90 GB free
• NVIDIA GeForce 6800 with 128 MB RAM (WDDM support)

This is what Microsoft says a "capable" PC should have.

• At least 800MHz
• 512 MB of RAM
• Graphics processor that supports DirectX 9

Not that bad, right? But remember, that's only considered capable. According to Microsoft, if you want to really "experience" Vista, you'll need a PC that meets the Premium Ready Requirements.

Once installed, Vista gives your computer a rating based on your hardware. The higher the number, the more likely your computer will be able to run new software. Microsoft intends for it to be an easy way to identify what software will work well with your computer, but they have also set the stage for the geekiest ego wars ever. I can already imagine hearing, "Well my computer is a 5!" echoing around the room at the next LAN party. I am proud to say that I am a 3. I really don't know if that's a good thing, but it has to be better than a 1.

What comes next?

I was surprised at the amount of progress that has been made since the first beta. I only experienced one driver related problem, but that's the price I pay for having a DIY computer. Later this year, Microsoft plans to release the Windows Vista Release Candidate 1, which will bring the Windows team another step closer to the finish line.