Microsoft has recently introduced a “preview” version of its operating system, Windows Vista. This preview version enhances security options, improves and speeds up performance capabilities, and changes the user interface.
Approximately 500,000 developers and IT professionals have been invited by Microsoft to preview this version of Vista, which the company emphasizes will provide users with enhanced security against the growing number of threats and malware online.
Microsoft has presented the “preview” version of Vista to around 500,000 developers and IT professionals who were specifically chosen for their ability to evaluate this operating system version.
For instance, this time Microsoft has updated Windows Defender – the new name for Windows AntiSpyware – to provide users with enhanced security features in Windows Vista. According to the developers, Windows Defender can now remove any suspected spyware or unwanted intrusion programs.
Windows Defender also improves firewall capabilities and adds information filtering for incoming and outgoing traffic. The latest firewall version in Windows Vista allows restrictions on software access to files, the registry, and network connections, permitting only “legitimate” software to perform these access actions to ensure operational environment requirements.
Safety and Security
By adding traffic filtering to the Windows Firewall, Microsoft enables enterprise administrators to manage everything from blocking applications such as file-sharing or instant messaging from connecting to the network or responding to requests from external networks.
Other security-related changes include enhanced parental control features. Adults can now limit and monitor children’s computer usage by setting rules on when and for how long children are allowed to use the computer. Parents can also restrict children from accessing certain websites and control which applications they are running.
Another added security feature is BitLocker, a disk encryption technology that allows IT administrators to control whether USB drives can be installed on the system.
Additionally, Microsoft has included support for Internationalized Domain Names (IDN) in Internet Explorer 7. The security updates in IE will help protect users from phishing attacks or online scams by notifying them of which websites are suspected.
Comprehensive Changes – The Microsoft Style
Developers have had to exert considerable effort in this version of Vista, beyond just adding more security functions. Experts have also made changes in power management systems, user interfaces, object designs, and many user-related features. Users can now turn their PCs on or off with just a click.
This “preview” version of Vista also includes the Superfetch feature, which allows users to plug in a USB drive whenever they need additional memory. This application can load all or part of the user’s most frequently used applications into memory before those applications or files are accessed. It also optimizes available memory resources to enhance PC performance.
Users will also say goodbye to the traditional Start menu found in previous Windows versions. With this release, Microsoft introduces the Aero interface – a completely new design philosophy that gives the operating system a fresh look.
Finally, Microsoft has upgraded Windows Media Player to version 11. Although not many details about the technologies used in this version have been disclosed, it can be said that Windows Media Player 11 has a significantly different appearance compared to previous versions.
