Microsoft claims this is the most stable and secure operating system the have produced yet.  Vista will monitor your computer for common hardware and software issues and try to head off problems before they happen, thereby reducing the number of freezes and crashes you experience.

There will also be features that help block the installation and spreading of malicious software.

Vista will include improved search features.  Now you will be able to search for files not just on your own computer, but also on other computers that are a part of your network.

Virtual Folders is a new feature for a Windows operating system, and it is a part of Vista.  How it works is:  you create a virtual folder, much like you make a normal folder, give it an appropriate name, and Vista will search the data on your computer and fill the virtual folder with the appropriate data.  It is basically a saved search.  Each time you click on a Virtual Folder, Vista will run the search and fill the folder with the appropriate results.  If you are on a network, the virtual folder will contain relevant results from the entire network.

Vista will include an upgraded version of Internet Explorer (version 7).  This version will feature tabbed browsing.  That is to say you can have multiple web pages open at once and can go between the various pages just by clicking on the appropriate tab. 

Have you ever had trouble printing a web page, trying to make it fit on a 8.5" x 11" sheet of paper?  Well, IE will now feature 'shrink-to-fit' printing to make this task easier.

That is the overview of the major differences most users will notice right away.

What does Vista look like?

It appears that Microsoft has done away with the 'XP Blue'.  Apparently, Microsoft has visited this web site and liked the darker color scheme, because that is what is used in Vista!  Enjoy the following screenshots:

Click on a picture to enlarge.

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