Vista — a whole new world

After the release of Windows Vista I received a ton of mail about this new operating system. Let's wade through the common ones.

Question: After I installed the Windows Vista upgrade (Ultimate Edition) I could no longer use iTunes or access my songs. What's the deal? Surely Microsoft isn't so stupid as to make it incompatible with iTunes.

Answer: Well, in some cases it is. Apple says it is working on a version that is compatible in all ways and hopes to have it out in a couple of weeks. Most users won't see an issue with the current version, but the next one will resolve it for everyone, Apple says.

Question: How can I tell if my anti-virus software is still working after the Vista upgrade?

Answer: That is a very good question and good thing to check after any upgrade. You can launch the anti-virus product you have and see if it scans normally or returns an error. A safer bet is to check the Web site for your virus product and see if there is an update or patch needed for Vista.

Microsoft, of course, hopes that you toss whatever you're using in favor of its built-in anti-virus product.

Question: Which version of Vista is the right one to get?

Answer: It depends what you need. Under XP the world was rather simple: home users picked "XP Home," and business or higher-end users selected "XP Professional." With Vista, things have changed. At the bottom end is "Vista Home Basic," which should be fine if you have an older PC and a built-in graphics card (i.e., not one separate from your motherboard). If you use your PC just to browse the Web and read e-mail, this is your version.

Next up is "Vista Home Premium" which adds the elegant "Aero" interface if you have the graphics card to pull it off. This is the version for most users of Windows. It should be the minimum choice for laptop users because it adds the Windows Mobility features and support for tablet PCs. It also has the Windows Media Center options to interface with your television.

Next up is "Windows Vista Business," which offers the same rough features as "Premium" but adds a complete backup-and-restore system, remote desktop capability and Windows Movie Maker software.

The high-end user will want "Windows Vista Ultimate," of course. This has everything built in, including hard-drive encryption abilities.

Question: What is the best way to upgrade my graphics card?