Altogether, there are two versions for businesses, three for consumers, and one for emerging markets. They will be named Business, Enterprise, Home Basic, Home Premium, Ultimate, and Starter.

The number of offerings is the same as that for Windows XP, with each new product tailored to meet the needs of a specific market.

Across the Board

The higher-end versions of Vista include a new user interface, dubbed Aero, which Microsoft is calling its "glass" user interface because it can render open windows translucently, making it easier to see what is happening on the desktop at all times.

Using a feature called Quick Search, people can type in any word, name, or phrase and find all items stored on the computer that relate to it. Another new feature, Search Folder, works as a kind of "always on" search. If you type in search criteria, such as "dogs," for example, the OS will create a folder into which any new files on dogs will be inserted automatically.

Windows Flip, another new technology in Vista, was designed for easier transitioning between applications. The technology will let users flip through open windows using the Alt+Tab key combination to view a live thumbnail of each window.

Flip 3D moves the applications into a "3D space" through which people can sort through windows using the arrow keys or the scroll wheel on a mouse.

Business and Enterprise

In addition to the general interface and navigation improvements in every version of Vista, Vista Business is designed to make it easier to manage huge volumes of business documents. By integrating search throughout the operating system and providing new ways to organize files, Vista Business is designed to help business users quickly find exactly what they are looking for.

Windows Vista Enterprise will include all the features of Vista Business along with hardware -based encryption for protecting corporate data . It also will include tools to boost enterprise -application compatibility and a multilingual language pack for global deployments.

Vista Enterprise will be available only to customers using PCs covered by Microsoft Software Assurance or a Microsoft Enterprise Agreement. (continued...)

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