XP versus Vista: What's the Difference and Why Should I Care?

When people start talking about the operating systems that are current in the world of Microsoft you probably get a little bit confused. There has been a lot of hype coming from all sides and it's hard to tell if anybody is telling you the truth. So in this article, we're going to break through a lot of the hype and take a real look at the truth about XP and Vista.

XP is the operating system that you are most likely to be familiar with. After all, it was around for 5 years before the release of the new system, and it is one of Microsoft's most stable and reliable operating systems. It made it all the way to service pack 2 before yielding to a new operating system.

Vista is the new kid on the block, in terms of Microsoft's operating systems. The release date was pushed back a few times before its eventual release. Vista caused a big uproar in the Microsoft user community.

The main differences between XP and Vista include:

• In Vista, the interface and file organization have been condensed into the start menu.
• Video and audio have been upgraded but at the cost of using more memory.
• You are being watched by the system. (Don't worry we'll come back to that one later).
• Peripheral devices you currently use (like a printer or scanner) may not work with Vista.

There are a lot more changes than this between the operating systems but I am only telling you about the things that are likely to matter to you.

The biggest things about the Vista system which are likely to impact you and your work on a day-to-day basis:

First is the issue with peripheral devices. This will affect things like your scanner or your printers. These devices run on software called drivers. The Vista operating system has an issue of being incompatible with those drivers. That incompatibility will mean only two things:

• You can hope that the product you currently use makes a driver for Vista before your company upgrades to Vista.
• Buy new equipment that is Vista compliant when you upgrade.

Neither solution is both appealing and practical.

Issue number two is that the system is watching you. Vista's DRM (short for "Digital Rights Management") system is constantly monitoring the system. This is a thorn in the side of many users because the constant monitoring is a drain on the system (for a more in-depth explanation click here) which causes Vista to run slower than it would have if Microsoft had chosen a less invasive method of enforcing DRM. The second problem is that all that watching has a set of teeth. If the system decides that you may be doing something that is related to copying media illegally, it will block access to parts of your system.

These problems (some merely annoying and expensive and some downright Orwellian) cannot be shut off. They have prevented a lot of companies from upgrading and even convinced some users to downgrade back to XP.

So that's the main differences between XP and Vista for the average end-user. It really won't make much of a difference unless your company upgrades.