VISTA LAUNCH

Microsoft wants to change the way you use your computer.

With the release of Vista, the first major overhaul of its Windows operating system in five years, the software giant is asking PC users to adopt new ways of working.

In return, it's promising big improvements in security and ease of use.

It is a complete training experience, introducing Windows users to the benefits of Vista.

VISTA comes preloaded on virtually every new PC, and consumers who want to upgrade existing machines can buy off-the-shelf copies.
With Microsoft running the vast majority of the world's computers, the potential impact of Vista is huge for users and suppliers alike.
If history is any indication, a majority of the world's PCs will be running Vista within a few years or will need to in order to access the latest programs and Web services.
That means that if you use a Windows PC, you'll probably have to figure out how Vista works.

There are some major changes from Windows XP.

That great filing system you've finally mastered to save and store documents, photos or music? Forget about it. A user interface replaces those little folders with snapshots of your data or tiny images of your photos.

Don't worry, though. An improved integrated search function makes locating any document or file, e-mail message or calendar entry as easy as finding a Web site with Google or Yahoo.

All that security software you bought to rid your machine of spam and spyware and viruses? Since Vista comes with more built-in security than any software Microsoft has ever created, you probably won't need it.

Vista's easy-to-use interface and security features, may make it the best version of Windows ever.