Page 1 of 2

Windows Vista self-guided tour

Posted: 2005-08-08 12:34pm
by phongn
Microsoft TechNet has a self-guided tour of Windows Vista out highlighting some of the new features, some of which of interest to power users and IT professionals.

Posted: 2005-08-08 01:03pm
by Xon
Vista already has the feature I want; Filesystem Quality of Service.

No longer will an anti-malware scan or other disk intensive activity cause a harddrive to become inaccessable to otherstuff using it.

Posted: 2005-08-08 02:39pm
by Durandal
I see that they've finally implemented a "sudo"-like approach to administrative actions. Wonder how many poorly-designed apps this is going to break.

Posted: 2005-08-08 03:09pm
by Tiger Ace
Nice, I actully like this.

Kinda makes me think how little aside from games is keeping me from going to a Mac. :?

Posted: 2005-08-08 03:25pm
by Akaramu Shinja
Emulated OGL through D3D when using Windowed mode with AeroGlass running. I was really looking forward to Vista too :evil:

Posted: 2005-08-08 03:27pm
by The Kernel
My question is whether Windows Rot and registry bloat is still going to be an issue.

Posted: 2005-08-08 03:31pm
by Akaramu Shinja
The Kernel wrote:My question is whether Windows Rot and registry bloat is still going to be an issue.
Considering the improvement over it with 2k and XP, I'd be surprised if it actually got worse. Well, maybe not surprised..but..sad :(

Posted: 2005-08-08 03:35pm
by The Kernel
Akaramu Shinja wrote:
The Kernel wrote:My question is whether Windows Rot and registry bloat is still going to be an issue.
Considering the improvement over it with 2k and XP, I'd be surprised if it actually got worse. Well, maybe not surprised..but..sad :(
Yeah, but it's still a problem. Windows XP is more robust, but you still can't go a year without having to reformat and reinstall. Plus, I've noticed that it's damn easy to kill a Windows XP install doing hardware replacements. These are the things I really want to see changed, there is no good reason why I should have to reinstall my OS on a regular basis.

Posted: 2005-08-08 03:39pm
by Tiger Ace
Kernel, any idea why? I keep my system in shape, 2 years without a re-install and its rock stable with a pair of small quirks.

Maybe its because I rarely add programs and keep stuff maintained all the time.

Posted: 2005-08-08 03:49pm
by The Kernel
Tiger Ace wrote:Kernel, any idea why? I keep my system in shape, 2 years without a re-install and its rock stable with a pair of small quirks.

Maybe its because I rarely add programs and keep stuff maintained all the time.
Yes, I have an idea why, I tend to install a lot of different software on my PC's. But so what? The number of software installs shouldn't have an effect on the stability of the OS. We shouldn't be forced to minimalize.

After all, the average Linux distro installs with thousands of applications, yet there is no adverse hit to the stability of the OS.

Posted: 2005-08-08 03:51pm
by Tiger Ace
I know, its very agrevating that whenever my program list reachs 150 I need to start trimming down.

Search is another area where Windows needs improvements that will hopefully come with Vista, but I imagine the importence will diminsh with virtual folders, which looks great, even if Mac also has it years before.

Posted: 2005-08-08 04:52pm
by Seggybop
Akaramu Shinja wrote:Emulated OGL through D3D when using Windowed mode with AeroGlass running. I was really looking forward to Vista too :evil:
That only has relevance if you neglect to install your video card maker's drivers (which have their own real OGL implementation). I don't think anyone who actually cares is going to be forgetting to do that.

Posted: 2005-08-08 05:53pm
by Akaramu Shinja
Seggybop wrote:
Akaramu Shinja wrote:Emulated OGL through D3D when using Windowed mode with AeroGlass running. I was really looking forward to Vista too :evil:
That only has relevance if you neglect to install your video card maker's drivers (which have their own real OGL implementation). I don't think anyone who actually cares is going to be forgetting to do that.
Um, what? No. AeroGlass keeps Windows in constant D3D drawing mode, which means you can't have OGL calling to the G.Card at the same time without causing flicker. This is why they catch the OGL calls and wrap them into D3D. This is only relevant when AeroGlass is being used (thus not fullscreen OGL or when AeroGlass is disabled).

Posted: 2005-08-08 08:16pm
by Xon
The Kernel wrote:My question is whether Windows Rot and registry bloat is still going to be an issue.
Well they are going to include performance monitoring software which watches for software changes which massively impact of system performance. There is also going to be a new prefetch system which loads commonly used applications into memory before the user actually uses them("yay!" cry RAM Manufacturers).
The Kernel wrote:Yes, I have an idea why, I tend to install a lot of different software on my PC's. But so what? The number of software installs shouldn't have an effect on the stability of the OS. We shouldn't be forced to minimalize.
Baddly written installers, Windows software with very baddly writter installers is common as dirt. Properly written MSI files are a god-send, they allow the OS to cleanly uninstall something in a safe and reliable way.

Custom-biuld shit is that; shit.

Posted: 2005-08-09 03:37am
by Sarevok
Akaramu Shinja wrote:
Seggybop wrote:
Akaramu Shinja wrote:Emulated OGL through D3D when using Windowed mode with AeroGlass running. I was really looking forward to Vista too :evil:
That only has relevance if you neglect to install your video card maker's drivers (which have their own real OGL implementation). I don't think anyone who actually cares is going to be forgetting to do that.
Um, what? No. AeroGlass keeps Windows in constant D3D drawing mode, which means you can't have OGL calling to the G.Card at the same time without causing flicker. This is why they catch the OGL calls and wrap them into D3D. This is only relevant when AeroGlass is being used (thus not fullscreen OGL or when AeroGlass is disabled).
Interesting. So is GDI being replaced D3D for desktop applications ?

Posted: 2005-08-09 07:10am
by Akaramu Shinja
Only when you use AeroGlass. Of course, this means that if you have a semi-modern graphics card, your GUI will actually be faster than if you used the lower settings.

Posted: 2005-08-09 07:17am
by Xon
Under Vista, GDI calls are passed over to the Avalon layer(aka DirectX+stuff).

And GDI calls have been accelerated since the mid-90s, that isnt going to change anytime soon.

Posted: 2005-08-09 07:19am
by Xon
Destructionator XIII wrote:That actually looks pretty decent. It seems that they have strengthened the command line and they new administrative account security looks promising.
While the Monad commandline will not be in the client version of Vista (aka Vista Pro & Vista Home) it will be in the server versions and it will also be an optional DL from Microsoft the Vista client-versions once Monad is released.

Posted: 2005-08-09 07:49am
by Akaramu Shinja
Oh and might I point out as an MSH beta tester, piping .NET objects is teh SEXAY :luv: :luv:

Posted: 2005-08-09 07:59am
by Xon
Yes, a .NET shell which moves objects around is rather nice. The proposed auto-completion and context sensitive help at the commandline is even better.

One interesting things is the apparent improvements in the audio layer, from this Microsoft blog it sounds rather interesting.

Posted: 2005-08-09 08:00am
by labrat
Yes, I have an idea why, I tend to install a lot of different software on my PC's. But so what? The number of software installs shouldn't have an effect on the stability of the OS. We shouldn't be forced to minimalize.
It's what you install not how much. My install is 2 years old and running smooth as (would have been 3 but upgradeing is nessecary).
After all, the average Linux distro installs with thousands of applications, yet there is no adverse hit to the stability of the OS.
Wrong. A miss behaving app will bring down any os. My install of mandrake 9.2 was really screwed by a bad XMMS install.

Posted: 2005-08-09 09:58am
by Durandal
Has anything changed with the Registry? That would have to be Windows' Number 1 instability culprit.

Posted: 2005-08-09 11:04am
by Akaramu Shinja
A bit from an article about the system registry and Vista.
This afternoon, Microsoft's Greg Sullivan confirmed the company's official exodus away from the System Registry as a key component, and toward what are now being called "application manifests"--individual, secure files for applications to store their own configuration data, and for other purposes. It turns out that, as Microsoft moves toward gradual adoption of what was dubbed this morning Windows Communication Foundation (formerly and more affectionately known as "Indigo"), a single file for storing the configurations and data attributes of all running components in the system, may eventually no longer be necessary.

"This has been an ongoing design goal of ours," Sullivan told us. "The Registry has served its purpose well for managing the settings and keys required to do configuration--particularly application installation and behavior--but that model has also been fraught with some challenges that we've had to face. So it's been a long-term goal for us to evolve that." However, Sullivan added, there are still over 600 million people using Windows XP and, therefore, using local System Registries. The challenge over the next several years will be to migrate to a Registry-free world without breaking applications.

One approach to implementing this exodus, Sullivan revealed to us for the first time, will be a new system that provides non-administrative users with a "virtual Registry," ostensibly at first for the sake of protecting the main Registry from abuse. This way, said Sullivan, "not every user has to be an administrator to accomplish something. But when we're able to virtualize the Registry, we can actually provide a standard user with a way to have a meaningful interaction, including installing applications that write to the Registry, but in a way that doesn't necessarily permanently harm or affect what the administrator has set up." Conceivably, a virtual Registry could be used by older Windows applications that still require it, within a future system - probably far later than Vista - that no longer provides the Registry as a standard service.
From here

Posted: 2005-08-09 11:15am
by Sharp-kun
Durandal wrote: Wonder how many poorly-designed apps this is going to break.
and how many people will declare the OS crap and advise people not to use it, as it "breaks apps".

Posted: 2005-08-09 01:01pm
by Praxis
Akaramu Shinja wrote:
The Kernel wrote:My question is whether Windows Rot and registry bloat is still going to be an issue.
Considering the improvement over it with 2k and XP, I'd be surprised if it actually got worse. Well, maybe not surprised..but..sad :(
Windows 98 -> Windows ME...

It's not entirely unprecedented...

I'd heard that MS intended to dump the registry, though.

Right, google always works...
http://www.tomshardware.com/hardnews/20 ... 72553.html
This afternoon, Microsoft's Greg Sullivan confirmed the company's official exodus away from the System Registry as a key component, and toward what are now being called "application manifests"--individual, secure files for applications to store their own configuration data, and for other purposes. It turns out that, as Microsoft moves toward gradual adoption of what was dubbed this morning Windows Communication Foundation (formerly and more affectionately known as "Indigo"), a single file for storing the configurations and data attributes of all running components in the system, may eventually no longer be necessary.
I wonder where they got that idea? ;)