The Difference Between Windows XP and Vista

It would seem that most individuals have become so accustomed and comfortable with using Windows XP that many don’t want to make the transition over to the Windows Vista. Technically, we are creatures of habit so when it comes to making changes it’s not all that easy.

Like most things there are good and bad points about both XP and Vista.

The start menu is more advanced in Vista compared to XP. With Vista, you have a much broader range of search leverage. Another significant change is in the “All Programs” area. XP can be somewhat of a problem to keep the programs organized when you have several whereas with the Vista the programs are scrolled within the start menu making it much less confusing when you want to find a particular program.

Everyone finds the “All Programs List” in XP frustrating. It can be overwhelming with its 3 column wide display. Now in Vista the folders open and close with a single click. In addition to this in Vista, the ability to search is always present. This way to find something you just type the item and all related items appear quickly.

In Vista there is a power button in the bottom right hand corner. This allows all the pending updates to be installed and then once the update process is completed puts the computer into sleep mode. This is not something that XP has.

In XP when you want to perform the lock function you have to press Ctrl-Alt-Del whereas in Vista there is a simple lock button that will perform the task. In addition to these power functions, you will find other related power functions available to you by way of a pop up menu. In essence, these are all merely time savers and a means of convenience.

According to Microsoft, security of Windows Vista is much improved than XP. As part of this, a new feature called UAC (User Account Control) is included in Vista.

One of the critical differences between both, is the hardware requirements. To achieve the same level of performance as XP, Vista requires more advanced or additional hardware .

Quite often, when one becomes comfortable with a Program such as XP, they really don’t place a lot of emphasis on small time savers .