The release of Windows Vista, Microsoft’s current operating system, came more than five years after the introduction of its predecessor, Windows XP, the longest time span between successive releases of Microsoft Windows desktop operating systems. Windows Vista contains many changes and new features, including an updated graphical user interface and visual style dubbed Windows Aero, improved searching features, new multimedia creation tools such as Windows DVD Maker, and redesigned networking, audio, print, and display sub-systems. Vista also aims to increase the level of communication between machines on a home network, using peer-to-peer technology to simplify sharing files and digital media between computers and devices. Windows Vista includes version 3.0 of the .NET Framework, which aims to make it easier for software developers to write applications than with the traditional Windows API. But despite its ambitions, Vista has been plagued with lots of issues, notably some security concerns. The attached document serves as a reference sheet for the Vista operating system.

The attached Zip file includes:

• Intro Page.doc

• Cover Sheet and Terms.pdf

• Windows Vista.pdf