eWEEK Labs Walk-Through: Vista Build 5536

eWEEK Labs Walk-Through: Vista Build 5536

As in previous test builds of Vista, we were welcomed upon first log-in by Vistas thoughtfully composed Welcome screen–now with links to various Windows Live services.

eWEEK Labs Walk-Through: Vista Build 5536 – Security Center

It wouldnt be Windows without an initial warning that your brand-new machine needs an antivirus add-on. We took Vista Build 5536 up on its offer to suggest an AV option, and we were surprised not to find OneCare among our options.

eWEEK Labs Walk-Through: Vista Build 5536 – Compatibility Wizard

Vistas Program Compatibility Wizard offered us the chance to run our outlander applications in a mode emulating an earlier Windows version. We didnt run into any problems that required this step, however.

eWEEK Labs Walk-Through: Vista Build 5536 – Windows Update Check

Vistas Windows Update is little changed from whats available in Windows XP. Wed love to see Microsoft offer access to this framework to third-party vendors.

eWEEK Labs Walk-Through: Vista Build 5536 – Help Coming Along

Vistas help system is coming along nicely—we encountered much less placeholder text and much more helpful bits, such those answering questions about Windows Update.

eWEEK Labs Walk-Through: Vista Build 5536 – Search Providers

Internet Explorer plays rather nice when it comes to making way for rival search providers.

eWEEK Labs Walk-Through: Vista Build 5536 – Internet Explorer Default Security

This may be the first time weve seen a new Windows installation in which IE actually defaults to its default security level, rather than to custom.

eWEEK Labs Walk-Through: Vista Build 5536 – UAC Help

In another instance of Vistas maturing help system, there was a rather good description of Vistas new User Account Controls.

eWEEK Labs Walk-Through: Vista Build 5536 – More Command Line Friendly

We fired up cmd and found what looks to be a more command-line-friendly directory structure in Vista–fewer multi-word folder names and a common-sense home directory structure.

eWEEK Labs Walk-Through: Vista Build 5536 – Live Offers

We tried out the Windows Live tool bar but found that it cluttered up IE 7s otherwise clean-looking interface. We feel the same way about the Google tool bar, on which the Live bar seems modeled.

eWEEK Labs Walk-Through: Vista Build 5536 – Backup Complete

We liked Vistas simple-to-use backup tool, and were interested in seeing whether it integrates with Microsofts OneCare online backup service.

eWEEK Labs Walk-Through: Vista Build 5536 – The Most Beautiful Vista Screen Yet

Our favorite new Vista vista so far? The systems sharp-looking new Task Manager, which resembles the previous Windows Task Manager but offers much more information.

eWEEK Labs Walk-Through: Vista Build 5536 – More Beauty

We applaud Microsoft for bringing important (and previously too well-hidden) information about system services to the fore in the new Task Manager.

eWEEK Labs Walk-Through: Vista Build 5536 – Task Manager

Without admin approval, the Task Manager will display the processes of the current user.

eWEEK Labs Walk-Through: Vista Build 5536 – Taskman performance

The Task Managers performance tab offers the data were accustomed to seeing in previous Windows versions, but sports a new button that triggers a deeper view for admins.

eWEEK Labs Walk-Through: Vista Build 5536 – Network Activity Monitor

The network activity drilldown in Vistas Resource Monitor tool offers administrators much more information about what Windows is up to than previous Windows versions.

eWEEK Labs Walk-Through: Vista Build 5536 – Windows Messenger Optional

In Vista, an optional-download Windows Messenger means one less annoyance on newly installed systems.

eWEEK Labs Walk-Through: Vista Build 5536 – Previous Versions

The Time Machine feature set to ship with Mac OS X Tiger may have a prettier interface, but it looks as though Vista will manage to deliver this feature first–in the form of the Previous Versions dialog.