Microsoft Windows Vista

What is Windows Vista^® ?

What is Windows Vista^®  Premium Ready?

Will Dell printers support Windows Vista^® ?

What is the Windows Vista^®  Aero^TM  Experience?

Why does Dell recommend an advanced graphics card?

What hardware is recommended for running Windows Vista^® ?

What hardware is required by Microsoft for Windows Vista^®  Premium Ready systems?

Will Microsoft or Dell offer an upgrade to Windows Vista^® ?

What are the benefits of Windows Vista^® ?

Which Dell systems will run Windows Vista^®  in the new Windows Aero interface?

What are the Windows Vista^®  versions and which ones will Dell ship?

What differentiates the Windows Vista^®  logos?

Q. What is Windows Vista^® ?
A. Windows Vista^®  is Microsoft's next-generation operating system (OS). Microsoft touts this new OS as its most secure, highest quality Windows release to date. Depending on the version of the OS that you select to run and your system's hardware, it offers many new and enhanced features such as advanced security and a new intuitive and lifelike interface.

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Q. What is Windows Vista^®  Premium Ready^*?
A. To take Windows Vista^®  to the next level - look for Premium Ready PCs. These special PCs - when paired with the appropriate version of Windows Vista^®  - can enable premium experiences like the Windows Aero^®  user interface. Windows Aero is designed to improve on virtual perfection with spectacular visuals, fast responsiveness, and graphical tools to efficiently manage information and applications on your desktop.

A Windows Vista^®  Premium Ready1 PC includes at least:

1GHz 32-bit (x86) or 64-bit (x64) processor* 1GB of system memory (note: Dell recommends dual channel memory*) Support for DirectX 9 graphics with a WDDM driver, 128MB of graphics memory (minimum )*, Pixel Shader 2.0 and 32bits per pixel 40GB of hard drive capacity with 15GB free space DVD-ROM Drive* Audio output capability Internet access capability

To enjoy Windows Aero you must install one of the premium versions of Windows Vista^®  - Windows Vista^®  Home Premium, Windows Vista^®  Business, or Windows Vista^®  Ultimate. A system with less than 1GB of system memory will not support many of the advanced features of premium versions of Windows Vista^® , including the Windows Aero^TM  user interface.

To make sure you get the most out of Windows Vista^® , use the following guidelines:

To access Aero and other premium benefits, Microsoft recommends a system designated as Premium Ready* For an improved experience, Dell additionally recommends configuring your Premium Ready* system with 1GB dual-channel (2-DIMMS) RAM* and a premium 128MB graphics card from ATI or nVidia. To further enhance your Windows Vista®  experience, Dell recommends 2GB dual-channel (2 DIMMS) RAM* and a premium 256MB graphics card from ATI or nVidia.

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Q. Will Dell printers support Windows Vista^® ?
A. All currently shipping Dell printers can support Windows Vista^® . Drivers are available at http://support.dell.com .For a comprehensive list of printers supported by Windows Vista^® , click here.

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Q. What is the Windows Vista^®  Aero Experience?
A. Windows Vista^®  will come with 2 user experiences.  Windows Vista^®  Basic, Windows Vista^®  Aero.  The new Aero experience is designed to show translucent windows, 3-dimnesional perspective, rich textures, advanced color mixes and animations."
Please click here for more information.

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Q. Why does Dell recommend an advanced graphics card?
A. In general, the more graphics and system memory on a computer, the richer the potential experience. Systems without enough graphics and memory power to run Windows Aero^TM , the new graphic user interface available in premium editions of Windows Vista^® , will offer a Basic graphics interface, which is similar in look and feel to that of Windows XP.

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Q. What hardware is recommended for running Windows Vista^® ?
A. To be designated as Windows Vista^®  Capable^*, Microsoft requires that the PC must include at least:

A modern processor (at least 800MHz) 512MB of system memory (RAM) A graphics processor that is DirectX 9 capable A CD-ROM drive (Dell recommends a DVD-ROM drive) 20GB HDD with a minimum of 15GB free space

NOTE: Not all Windows Vista^®  features are available for use on all Windows Vista^®  Capable^* PCs. All Windows Vista^®  Capable PCs will run the core experiences of Windows Vista^® , such as innovations in organizing and finding information, security, and reliability. Some advanced features - like the new Windows^®  Aero^®  user interface - are available only in premium editions of Windows Vista^®  and require advanced or additional hardware.

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Q. What hardware is required by Microsoft for Windows Vista^®  Premium Ready^* systems?
A. To be designated as Windows Vista^®  Premium Ready^*, Microsoft requires that the PC must include at least:

1GHz 32-bit (x86) or 64-bit (x64) processor* 1GB of system memory (note: Dell recommends dual channel memory*) Support for DirectX 9 graphics with a WDDM driver, 128MB of graphics memory (minimum)*, Pixel Shader 2.0 and 32bits per pixel 40GB of hard drive capacity with 15GB free space DVD Readable Drive Audio output capability Internet access capability

To provide the advanced features of Windows Vista^®  including the Aero user interface, Premium Ready^* systems must also be running one of the premium versions of Windows Vista^® , including: Windows Vista^®  Home Premium, Windows Vista^®  Business, or Windows Vista^®  Ultimate.

For an enhanced experience of Aero and other key Windows Vista®  features, Dell also recommends configuring your Premium Ready* system with 1GB dual-channel (2-DIMMS) RAM* and a premium 128MB graphics card from ATI or nVidia. To further enhance your Windows Vista®  experience, Dell recommends 2GB dual-channel (2-DIMMS) RAM* and a premium 256MB graphics card from ATI or nVidia.

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Q. Will Microsoft or Dell offer an upgrade to Windows Vista^® ?
A. Buy select Dell^TM  Windows Vista^®  Capable^* PCs between October 26, 2006 and March 15, 2007, and you can qualify for an Express Upgrade to Windows Vista^®  on select system configurations. Limited Time Offer.

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Q. What are the benefits of Windows Vista^® ?
A. Microsoft has identified several key benefits:

A new, visually exciting user interface Windows Vista^®  is the first Windows operating system that can gracefully scale to the hardware capabilities of the computer it is installed on. Depending on the user's hardware as well as the version of Windows Vista^®  installed, this new operating system can enable either the Basic user experience or the advanced 3-D like Windows Aero^TM  user experience.^*

Increased confidence Windows Vista^®  features a new system architecture designed to include advanced security features.

Enhanced security features can help protect against the latest generation of threats, such as worms, viruses, and spyware. System alerts inform users about security and privacy choices so they can feel confident their privacy is protected.

Ease-of-use Windows Vista^®  is designed to streamline productivity and organization. It introduces an intuitive way of organizing data like movies, music, photos and other important files, so that you can store, manage, and find it when you need to. Highly intuitive, Windows Vista^®  can help you:

See what files contain without opening them Find applications and files quickly Navigate efficiently among open windows Use wizards and dialog boxes confidently

Enhanced connectivity Windows Vista^®  can enable users to synchronize across multiple PCs, network servers and other devices, including cell phones and PDAs. Windows Vista^®  includes enhancements for portable computers; compared to Windows XP, it offers advanced power management, and easy wireless networking functionality.

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Q. Which Dell systems will run Windows Vista^®  in the new Windows Aero interface?
A. Dell provides both Windows Vista^®  Capable^* and Windows Vista^® Premium Ready^* PCs (designed to run Aero) across its product lines. Please refer to this chart for details on specific systems.

	Basic Windows Vista®  Experience - No Aero	Windows Vista®  Aero Experience	Optimized Windows Vista®  Experience
	GOOD	BETTER	BEST
System Memory	512MB RAM	1GB RAM*	2GB Dual Channel* (2 DIMMS)
Graphics Memory	Integrated or discrete	128 MB Graphics Card (integrated or discrete)*	256MB Graphics Card
Processor	modern processor (>800MHz)	1 GHz 32-bit (x86) or 64-bit (x64)	Dual-Core
Hard Drive	>15GB free (recommended)	40GB capacity, >15GB free	7200 rpm
Window Vista Aero Experience	None	Aero enabled as a default, but performance may be compromised as more windows, applications and games are opened.	Can enhance Aero experience and system performance
Great for...	Booting the Operating System, without running applications or games	Multitasking (e-mail, basic photo editing, basic video editing, music, spreadsheets, browsing, and other applications) The experience is only assured in single monitor mode. Dual monitor is supported, but may affect the aero premium experience.	Multi-tasking with power-hungry applications (large spreadsheets, advanced video and photo editing, HD viewing and recording) Dual Monitor Usage

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Q. What are the Windows Vista^®  versions and which ones will Dell ship?
A. The Windows Vista^®  product lineup consists of five versions. When available, Dell plans to offer four of them:

Windows Vista®  Business Windows Vista®  Home Basic Windows Vista®  Home Premium Windows Vista®  Ultimate

Windows Vista^®  Enterprise will be available ONLY directly from Microsoft. Dell will not factory install this version of Windows Vista^® . Visit www.microsoft.com for additional information on Microsoft Vista^®  Enterprise.

Dell plans to make the Business version of Windows Vista^®  available on all Dell relationship platforms. Dell plans to ship appropriate 32-bit and/or 64-bit versions of all other Windows Vista^®  products as determined by the best customer experience results out of testing.

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Q. What differentiates the Windows Vista^®  logos?
A. To help ensure that you have a great experience with Windows Vista^® , be sure to look for products featuring the "Certified for Windows Vista^® " logo or the "Works with Windows Vista^® " logo. Dell products that display one of these logos have passed both Dell and Microsoft specifications and standards, so you can be confident that they have been tested for quality and compatibility with Windows Vista^® .

Here's what the logos mean:
	Certified for Windows Vista®  Products that carry the "Certified for Windows Vista® " logo have met explicit standards of reliability and quality, and have been tested and proven to deliver a superb experience with a Dell PC running Windows Vista® . Using software and devices bearing this logo with Windows Vista®  Home Premium, Windows Vista®  Business, or Windows Vista®  Ultimate edition provide the richest Dell PC experience.
	Works with Windows Vista®  You can have confidence that a hardware peripheral or software product from Dell displaying the "Works with Windows Vista® " logo is designed to easily work with Windows Vista®  and can deliver a reliable experience. These products meet baseline standards of functionality on all PCs running Windows Vista® .

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