Windows Vista
From ProPHOTO WIKI
Contents |
Introduction
Microsoft's latest operating system, Windows Vista (previously known as Longhorn) provides a significant overhaul of the system used by many photographers. The following sections provide brief descriptions of a number of the major changes that effect this market. Please read on for additional information.
Significant Changes (Digital Imaging)
Colour Management
One of the most obvious changes that will effect photographers is the addition of the new Colour Management applet in the Control Panel. Similar to the colour control powertoy offered for Windows XP, this provides a centralized location for entering colour management settings. In addition, this panel allows colour profiles to be added on a per-display basis so it will simplify the process necessary to properly configure multi-display systems.
Less obvious, however, is the addition of a new colour engine (WCS) used by the operating system. Using more modern colour models (CIECAM02 vs. CIELAB) and improved gamut-mapping techniques, this new engine can provide more accurate colour conversions. While it will continue to support the ICC colour mechanism, WCS provides new profile types that allow more detailed characterizations of colour-sensitive devices.
Mainstream 64-bit Platform
While Windows XP 64-bit Edition has provided users with a 64-bit option for nearly a year now, it was only sold as an OEM product and thus had limited exposure. This meant that there was little incentive for mainstream hardware and software vendors to support the platform, so it took a good deal of effort to take full advantage of the OS.
Windows Vista, on the other hand, will be provided in both 32-bit and 64-bit flavours from the initial launch. As such, the 64-bit platform will be much more prevalent and there should be a much larger push by vendors to support this platform. As the vast majority of computers sold in the last couple of years are 64-bit capable, this move should provide the critical mass necessary to push this into the mainstream.
With that said, users will still be dependent on 64-bit versions of their software packages to take full advantage of this capability. While 32-bit software will run without issue on a 64-bit platform, it will still be constrained by many of the 32-bit limits. The addition of a mainstream 64-bit version of Windows provides the infrastructure and the market for such products, however it will take some time for vendors to actually take advantage of this opportunity.
RAW Support
Windows Vista now provides a system-level plug-in mechanism for supporting RAW image files generated by various manufacturers. In addition to providing support for these files within the OS, this will allow third-party software vendors to access this capability with minimal effort. While it is likely that high-end packages will continue to use their own engine, this capability should simplify the use of these images in packages not explicitly designed for RAW image processing.
System-Wide Search
Similar to Apple's Spotlight system, Windows Vista now offers a built-in indexed search engine that helps to quickly find information stored both locally or on the network. For photographers without a more sophisticated cataloging system, this capability can be immensely useful for quickly searching metadata to find specific images.
Aside from this basic functionality, common searches can be saved as 'Virtual Folders' (similar to 'Smart Folders' within Spotlight) that are continually updated as new files are added to the system. This allows users to easily keep track of commonly used information regardless of how it is structured on the hard disks.
Mobility
As many photographers need to work in the field, functionality aimed at portable computers is an important consideration for many. The following sections outline the main features that appeal to this particular market:
Network Locations
Windows Vista provides the ability to specify different network locations with different security settings. Each location can be configured as either a private or public. Locations marked public restrict the use of things like file or printer sharing, and thus provide increased protection from other computers on the network.
This is extremely useful for individuals who often have to connect to wireless hotspots when out in the field. As the user has no control over the other computers using that network, the higher level of security helps to ensure that the machine remains protected. When returning to the private network at the studio, however, that same machine will be able to share resources without having to change any settings.
Wireless Networking
Given the increasing importance of wireless networking, Vista's implementation has seen significant changes. In addition to the underlying design of the system, the user interface for controlling the system has seen significant changes. The new interface provides addition control over how the system connects to networks, including major changes to the way ad-hoc networks are handled.
Windows Mobility Center
Vista offers a new centralized user interface to configure major settings commonly used by mobile computer users. This includes settings for the display, sound, battery and presentation modes. While not a major feature, it can make it easier to access these commonly used settings when necessary.
New Interface
Probably the most visible change to Windows Vista is the new 'Aero Glass' interface used by the platform. When enabled, this system makes use of a system's 3D processing hardware to generate elaborate visual effects. This allows things like semi-transparent accents, 3D task switching tools and other aesthetic touches. Despite the complexity of many of these tasks, the fact that modern computers come with sophisticated 3D processing hardware allows it to be done with minimal impact on overall performance.
If desired, however, the user can switch to the simpler Aero or Classic interfaces. In the Aero mode, the basic look of the OS is very similar to the Aero glass mode but it is done without the elaborate 3D mechanisms. In the Classic mode, Vista operates similar to the older Windows 2000 user interface. These modes reduce resource utilization and can improve battery life on mobile computers.
Media Center
Vista Home Premium and Ultimate offer an improved version of the Media Center interface provided in previous operating systems. In addition to it's other features, this system provides an elegant interface for browsing photographic libraries and quickly setting up attractive slideshows.
In addition, this interface can be remotely accessed through a second generation media center extender (such as the XBox 360). As such, images can remain on a main workstation while clients view their work on a remote monitor or HDTV set.
Under the Hood
In addition to the changes that are visible to the end user, the underlying mechanics of the OS have been significantly modified. A number of critical components (such as the networking subsystem) have been completely revamped to help improve the overall security, stability and performance of the platform. While these changes are not always easily visible to the user, they can have a significant impact on the overall performance of a given computer.
Superfetch
Designed to help make the system more responsive, Superfetch monitors usage patterns and then uses that information to manage memory in a more efficient manner. This ensures that the memory available to the computer is used as effectively as possible, and reduces the need to move data back and forth between main memory and the pagefile.
For instance, Vista can improve startup times in commonly used software by preloading portions of the programs into free memory. When the software is run, these portions don't have to be loaded from the hard drive and the user will be able to get to work faster than they normally would.
ReadyDrive
Vista offers support for a new type of 'hybrid' hard drive that adds a high-speed block of flash-based cache memory. This memory can store large chunks of commonly accessed data from the mechanical drive, allowing it to be retrieved much faster than normal. Additionally, as the data stored in this cache will remain in place after a shutdown, core components of the OS can be stored in it to dramatically improve boot up times.
Further, this technology also has the potential to significantly improve the battery life of portable computers. As commonly used data can be stored in the solid-state memory, the mechanical components of the drive can potential be spun down while the machine is still in use.
Networking
The networking stack used within Windows Vista has been largely written from the ground up. In addition to new functionality (eg native IPv6 support), this new system can provide significant improvements in real world throughput. While this won't have much impact on low-bandwidth tasks like web browsing, it can provide a noticable improvement in performance when moving large numbers of image files over the network.
Editions
Vista is being offered in five major editions in most markets. The following table provides a basic synopsis of the major features offered in each version:
| Features | Home Basic | Home Premium | Business | Enterprise | Ultimate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Media Center | N | Y | N | N | Y |
| Tablet/Touch Support | N | Y | Y | Y | Y |
| Aero Glass Interface | N | Y | Y | Y | Y |
| Remote Desktop | N | N | Y | Y | Y |
| Domain Support | N | N | Y | Y | Y |
| Memory Support | 8GB | 16GB | Unlimited | Unlimited | Unlimited |
| Processor Support | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 2 |
For a more detailed synopsis, please see this link
See Also
- Software - Information concerning different software used by professional photographers.
- Computers - Detailed information surrounding computer technology.
