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Chapter 1

Installing Windows Vista Client

RAM

Not only do you need enough RAM to run the operating system, but you also need extra RAM

to run applications. Most people like to run several applications at once, such as a word pro-

cessor, e-mail client, web browser, and chat program. When a computer begins running out of

available RAM, it begins to use the page file. A page file is a special file, usually hidden, that is

used to hold parts of programs and data files that do not fit within the computer’s physical

memory. Data is moved from the paging file to memory and back again as required. The page

file is sometimes called the swap file. The more a computer uses the page file, the slower the

computer gets. You can often improve the speed of a computer more by increasing the amount

of RAM it has than you can by increasing its processor speed. Windows Vista has a minimum

recommended RAM of 512 MB and a recommended RAM of 1 GB.

Hard Disk Drive

Having enough free space on the volume to install the operating system is one thing, but you

will need space for an office productivity suite, all that e-mail that arrives, and space to install

the latest and greatest games. Although a standard Windows Vista installation will consume

approximately 7 GB of hard disk drive space, the recommended minimum amount of hard

disk drive space is 20 GB, and the recommended amount is 40 GB. If you had only 7 GB of

hard disk drive space, you would not be able to install any extra applications!

Graphics Card

Windows Vista has two graphics interfaces: the basic interface and the more advanced Windows

Aero interface. Windows Aero is more aesthetically pleasing, but Windows Vista is still fully

functional if using only the basic interface. The minimum requirement to run the basic inter-

face is a graphics adapter that is DirectX 9 capable. You can find information on whether a

graphics adapter is DirectX 9 capable on the vendor’s website or on the product packaging. To

run Windows Aero, a graphics adapter needs:

■

DirectX 9 capacity

■

A WDDM Driver

■

Hardware Pixel Shader 2.0

■

32 bits per pixel

■

A minimum of 128 MB graphics memory

Comparing Windows Vista Editions

To the uninitiated, one of the most challenging things about Windows Vista is the number of

editions it comes in. Each edition, or SKU (Stock Keeping Unit), is aimed at a particular target

audience, and each edition has a particular price point. It is likely that in your job as an IT pro,