Lesson 1: Identifying Hardware Requirements

5

you will have to provide recommendations to friends, family, and customers about which edi-

tion of Windows Vista will best suit their needs.

To understand the differences between editions, you should first know the meaning of several

terms.

■

Active Directory Domain

Active Directory directory service domains are rarely used in

the home environment but are common in medium and large enterprises. Active Direc-

tory domains require a computer running a Windows server operating system.

Exam Tip

Using Windows Vista clients in Active Directory domain environments is covered

more fully by the 70-622 and 70-623 exams. Although it is good for you to understand how

Active Directory works, you are unlikely to be tested on the technology during the 70-620

exam.

■

Aero

The new Windows Vista graphical user interface (GUI), which is more efficient

and aesthetically pleasing than the Windows XP or Windows 2000 interfaces.

■

Media Center Allows a computer to play live and recorded standard and HDTV, mov-

ies, music, and pictures all through a single application.

■

Full Hard Drive Encryption Enables a hard disk drive to be encrypted on the volume

level rather than at the individual file and folder level.

■

Tablet PC capacity The ability to run on a Tablet PC and accept pen-based input from

the screen.

■

Multiprocessor support The ability to use more than one processor.

■

Parental controls Allows parents to restrict the websites and games that their children’s

user accounts can access.

Windows Vista Starter

Windows Vista Starter is the most basic version of Windows Vista. This edition supports only

a single 32-bit processor. Starter cannot be used in a domain, cannot run the Aero GUI, does

not support Media Center or full hard drive encryption, and cannot be run on a Tablet PC.

This edition allows only three applications to run simultaneously and does not support

inbound network connections. This edition does not support parental controls. This afford-

able edition is primarily aimed at computer users in emerging markets.

Windows Vista Home Basic

Windows Vista Home Basic differs from the starter edition in that it comes in both 32-bit and

64-bit editions. Home Basic Edition cannot be used in a domain, cannot run the Aero GUI,

does not support Media Center or full hard drive encryption, and cannot be run on a Tablet

PC. Home Basic does support parental controls and allows users to have more than three

applications open at once.