Microsoft Vista, the operating system to replace Windows
XP will begin shipping at the end of this month, and will be on most new computers by next month. Before it's even on the market, Microsoft has launched the "Vista Ultimate Extras" package. As I've said before, Vista is indeed a refreshing and exciting interface, but none of the glitz matters if we still just want to do our work the same way. There are long-term, significant improvements in security, but don't get caught in the hype. For example, the two biggest features of the Ultimate Extras package are: Texas
Hold'M Poker and
DreamScene to animate your screen wallpaper. As I said, the hype won't improve productivity, so either buy it for fun, or wait til you get a new computer and spend time learning some of the more worthwhile features.