As Microsoft launches its new PC operating system, Windows Vista, anxiety levels are rising for both IT managers and consumers who
have become comfortable with using and administering the previous
version of the software, Windows XP. Despite the upheaval such a
release brings, the PC industry has undergone many upgrades in its
history, and Vista will be no different.
According to Microsoft, Vista will require at least an 800-MHz, 32or 64-bit microprocessor with 512 Mbytes of DRAM. These recommendations define a leading-edge PC from approximately five years
ago. Yet despite Microsoft's claims that Vista can run on such trailingedge systems, the reality is quite different.
For desktop PCs, a suitable microprocessor to run Windows Vista
should have a clock frequency of 3 GHz for a single-core chip or 2 GHz
for a dual-core microprocessor. Also, Vista-capable notebook PCs
should use single- or dual-core microprocessors with clock speeds of
approximately 1.5 GHz and faster.
The main cost impact of Windows Vista will be in the additional
memory required to run the new operating system. Today's typical
mainstream desktop and notebook PCs include between 512
Mbytes and 1 Gbyte of DRAM. While Microsoft says this is adequate
to run Vista, a more realistic memory configuration will be 1 to 2
Gbytes of DRAM.
By configuring a PC with more memory than is required today,
users can build in headroom for the memory requirements of tomorrow. From a corporate perspective, this is a good practice, and a
common one. It allows for increased demands on memory either from
updates to Vista or from new applications installed in the future.
