Windows Visa lauch is around the corner and some of us may be confused about Vista Capable and capability to Install Vista Premium Version. Unlike Windows XP, Microsoft this time around, specifies two different minimum hardware requirements for running Vista and they are:

Windows Vista Capable PC includes at least:
- Modern processor (at least 800MHz).
- 512 MB of system memory.
- Graphics processor that is DirectX 9 capable.

Windows Vista Premium Ready PC includes at least:

- 1 GHz 32-bit (x86) or 64-bit (x64) processor.
- 1 GB of system memory.
- Support for DirectX 9 graphics with a WDDM driver.
- 128 MB of graphics memory (minimum) Pixel Shader 2.0 and 32 bits per pixel.
- 40 GB of hard drive capacity with 15 GB free space.
- DVD-ROM Drive.
- Audio output capability.
- Internet access capability. Confused? why two different specifications for same operating system…

Well, the operating system may be same, but the way you see them will be different. One word that explain all is AERO.

The new aero user interface is very visual, complete with features such as glass-like interface elements, translucent Start Menu and taskbar, Windows Flip 3D, and Live Taskbar Thumbnails.

In the earlier versions of windows the user interface was rendered in software. In Vista with Aero, it utilizes the hardware capabilities of your graphics card. Its not in entirety that systems with on-board graphics will be unable to run Aero, rather these systems will run very slowly, may be unstable and hence would reduce the overall productivity.

In fact onboard graphic chips like Nvidia 6150 for AMD processors and Intels latest X3000 for the 965 chipset are Windows Vista Premium capable.

Microsoft announced an addition of extended 5-year customer support phase for its two versions of Windows XP operating system.

Previously, all support for Windows XP Home Edition and Windows XP Media Center Edition operating systems was slated to end two years after the release of Vista, in other words, at the end of January 2009. The company will launch Windows Vista and Office 2007 for consumers on Jan. 29, 2007 into market.

“Microsoft has listened to customer feedback and realized that providing security patches for Windows XP Professional, and not extending that support to the XP Home and XP Media Center Editions, was not a consistent approach,” a company representative said.

“Microsoft is currently making the change for Windows XP Home Edition and Windows XP Media Center Edition only, and it is taking additional time to evaluate a permanent policy change that would apply to all consumer operating system versions.”

The extended support, which kicks in after April 2009, will bring the two products on par with Microsoft’s Windows XP Professional for businesses.

Microsoft previously reserved its 5-year extended support feature to only enterprise-grade products.Check here for Microsoft Support Lifecycle for Windows

In its first Asia-Pacific launch for 2007 in Singapore, Nokia unveiled five new products, among them two new N-series handsets, the N76 and N93i, together with three new Nokia Bluetooth headsets–the BH-301, BH-201 and BH-100.

Nokia N76
Holding up to 1500 tracks, the N76 works with industry standard 3.5 mm headphones and supports the popular Windows Media DRM for optimal use. Viewing the 2.4-inch (13.7mm), up to 16 million color screen in landscape mode brings a familiar feel to surfing the web on a mobile.

You can navigate web pages quickly and easily with the Nokia Web Browser with Mini Map and enjoy easy access to popular internet services like Flickr and Amazon for searching, shopping or sharing. The N76 integrates a 2.0-megapixel (1600 x 1200 px) camera to capture, zoom and review pictures.

Offering tools to edit either on the go or transfer them to a compatible PC, the N76 comes bundled with Adobe Photoshop Album Starter Edition. With up to 2 GB of expandable memory, you have ample of storage for high-quality multimedia. It will be the first Nokia device to be preloaded with five Adobe Flash Lite games developed by Japanese developer CELL.

Nokia N93i
Similar to the Nokia N93, the N93i will feature the same 3.2 megapixel camera with Carl Zeiss optics and 3x optical zoom. Its body design will be slightly different with mirror effect front cover, smaller phone body size and new RAZR keypad.

It also added a small LCD screen at the front, letting you know who is calling you without open the clamshell phone. Although there isn’t much information on the front LCD, even in the manual, we do hope it can display info like song id, caller id, battery status, time and contact list navigation. Reducing the phone body size will be a great improvement, fulfilling those who don’t like the size of Nokia N93.

The Nokia 93i will also comes with a mini USB connector instead of the traditional pop-port connector. Both version works on WLAN, 3G (WCDMA 2100 MHz), EDGE and GSM (900/1800/1900 MHz) networks.
via cnet

Check out this beauty from Motorola. Well, it is Motorola MOTOROKR E6 mobile phone. This thin candy bar phone is billed as a premium entertainment PDA by Motorola. Some heavy loaded specifications include:


- Measures only 14.5 mm thick
- 2.0 megapixel digital camera with 8x digital zoom
- CIF and QVGA video capture for up to five hours
- Full screen video playback
- Integrated MP3 player with dedicated music keys and integrated FM radio
- PDA featuring Business Card Reader, POP3 email support, Document Viewer
- Stereo Bluetooth support
- HTML Browser
- USB 2.0 support
- 3.5 mm stereo jack
- SD card slot
- Extended 1000 mAh battery life
- 2.4 inch 240 x 320 262K color TFT external display
via krunker

A purely user designed Nokia N99 concept phone with a slider keyboard. It’s like a Nokia N800 with an extra keyboard. The designer wants a 9-way joystick button, a big 16 GB memory storage, 3.2″ wide screen and a high end 8 megapixel camera.


It has 4GB mini SD slot, 16:9 3.2″ wide screen, GPS, MP3, DIVX XVID MPEG AVI video reading, WLAN WIFI, qwerty pad, 8MP camera, 3CCD 720 pixel wide 30fps video capture. Some creative minds should be working for Nokia…killer looks and functionality what say?
via Slashphone - DarlaMack

Microsoft has detailed three new methods: Windows Anytime Upgrade, Windows Vista Family Discount and Windows Marketplace for customers looking to buy, upgrade or license multiple copies of Windows Vista that will be available worldwide on January 30.

“With the consumer launch of Windows Vista so close, we’re excited to announce three new ways to make the purchase and upgrade experience easier than ever,” said Brad Brooks, general manager of Windows Client Marketing at Microsoft. “These new programs give our customers more flexibility and choice to ensure they get the edition that’s right for them.”

Windows Anytime Upgrade is a new option that allows customers to upgrade their existing edition of Windows Vista to a higher-grade edition by way of an online transaction. To use Windows Anytime Upgrade, a customer has to click on the Windows Anytime Upgrade option in the Start menu, select the desired upgrade edition, purchase it online to secure a new digital key, and then follow the on-screen instructions to complete the upgrade.

Within Windows Anytime Upgrade, customers will be able to obtain detailed feature-by-feature information on the different Windows Vista editions, so that they can make an informed decision on whether an upgrade is right for them. The integrated desktop and e-commerce experience allows customers to go from the Windows desktop to an e-commerce shopping cart containing the upgrade path they have selected. Microsoft will also make Windows Vista and the 2007 Microsoft Office release available for direct download via Windows Marketplace.

Windows Vista editions offered through Windows Marketplace are available in English only, in either 32-bit or 64-bit versions. Windows Marketplace visitors also can find a wide variety of Windows-compatible hardware and software, including products carrying the Certified for Windows Vista logo. More information can be found on January 30 here.

To make it easier for households with multiple PCs to make the move to Windows Vista, Microsoft is launching a limited-time offer for customers who buy retail copies of Windows Vista Ultimate. From January 30 through June 30, the Windows Vista Family Discount will allow North American customers to license two additional copies of Windows Vista Home Premium for use on other PCs in the home at the reduced price of $49.99 each. Before completing the order online, customers will need to enter one valid full or upgrade Windows Vista Ultimate key from their retail boxed product.

After eligibility is verified online, the customer can purchase licenses to install Windows Vista Home Premium on one or two additional Windows-based computers.