The upcoming release of Internet Explorer 7 not only adds important new security and privacy features, but makes everyday tasks easier through features such as tabbed browsing, inline search, and shrink-to-fit printing. Internet Explorer 7 also provides new tools to give you direct access to information you want, with built-in support for web feeds known as Really Simple Syndication (RSS). RSS is a technology you can use to have information sent to you, so you don't have to look for it. Through RSS subscriptions, you can automatically receive feeds (lists) of headlines from Internet sites. Internet Explorer 7 discovers these feeds on sites and allows you to preview and subscribe to them. Once you subscribe, Internet Explorer 7 systematically consolidates headlines from each feed into one list. This lets you quickly browse new information from various sites without having to visit each site separately.

• Sleep The new Sleep state in Windows Vista combines the speed of Standby with the data protection features and low power consumption of Hibernate. Resuming use when your PC is in the Sleep state takes just 2-3 seconds. You can shut down and restart your computer less often by using the new Sleep state, a simple one-click on and off experience which not only reduces power consumption, but also helps protect your data.

• Windows SuperFetch Windows SuperFetch, a new technology in Windows Vista, allows applications and files to load much faster than on Windows XP-based computers. SuperFetch understands which applications you use most, and preloads these applications into memory, so your system is more responsive. SuperFetch uses an intelligent prioritization scheme that understands which applications you use most often, and can even differentiate which applications you are likely to use at different times (for example, on the weekend versus during the week), so that your computer is ready to do what you want it to do.

• Windows ReadyBoost Adding system memory (RAM) is often the best way to improve your PC's performance. However, upgrading memory is not always easy. Windows Vista introduces a new concept in adding memory to a system. Windows ReadyBoost lets users use a removable flash memory device, such as a USB thumb drive, to improve system performance without opening the box. This allows it to retrieve data kept on the flash memory more quickly than it can retrieve data kept on the hard disk, decreasing the time you need to wait for your PC to respond.

• Windows ReadyDrive Windows ReadyDrive enables Windows Vista PCs equipped with a hybrid hard disk to boot up faster, resume from hibernate in less time, preserve battery power, and improve hard disk reliability. Hybrid hard disks are a new type of hard disk, with integrated non-volatile flash memory.

Network Center informs you about the network your computer is connected to and verifies whether it can successfully reach the Internet. It even presents this information in a summary in the Network Map so you can immediately see your connectivity to the network and Internet. If a PC on the network loses Internet connectivity, you can graphically see that the link is down, and then use Network Diagnostics to help determine the cause of the problem and get a suggestion for a solution. Network Center also allows you to quickly connect to other available networks, or create entirely new connections. You can view and configure your most important network settings in one place. And for less frequently accessed settings, Network Center provides direct links so you can easily find what you're looking for.

• Family Safety Settings Windows Vista introduces a rich and powerful set of parental control features to help parents monitor, manage, and administer their children's computer use - and help keep them safe. Windows Vista makes it easy for parents to designate which games their children may play. Parents may choose to allow or restrict specific game titles, limit their children's play to games that are rated at or below a certain age level, or block any games with certain types of content they do not want their children to see or hear. Windows Vista also provides parents with a detailed activity report that shows exactly what their children have been doing on the computer, including the games they have played, the websites they visited, and the applications they have used.

• Windows Mail For many people, sending e-mail is the most important thing they do on a computer. As e-mail's popularity and importance have grown over the years, some annoyances and risks have also emerged. Windows Mail is designed to help you meet these challenges so your e-mail experience is as productive and fun as possible. Windows Mail includes a built-in Instant Search box that lets you search all of your e-mail messages almost instantaneously without leaving Windows Mail. It also includes a built-in filter which automatically screens e-mail to identify and separate junk e-mail, and a Phishing Filter to protect you from possible identity theft.

• Windows Calendar Windows Calendar is a flexible, easy-to-use calendar built directly into the Windows Vista operating system. It lets you plan and manage all of your activities and coordinate your schedule with others. Windows Calendar lets you easily create one-time appointments, recurring appointments, and use e-mail to send and receive appointments and invitations to friends and family members. Windows Calendar also lets you create a personal task list and receive automatic notifications and reminders about specific tasks and upcoming appointments. It even provides individual calendars for multiple people. This is especially helpful for families or other groups of people who share a single PC.

• Windows Media Center Enjoy all your favorite digital entertainment—including live and recorded TV, movies, music, and pictures—in one place with the easy-to-use Windows Media Center menu system and remote control. Windows Media Center in Windows Vista includes enhancements for expanded support of digital and high-definition cable TV, an improved menu system, and the ability to create a consumer-electronics-quality living-room experience, as well as new options for multi-room access to your entertainment through Media Center Extenders, including Xbox 360. Plus, by using options like thumbnail pictures, you'll quickly be able to identify which CD, photo, movie, or TV show you're looking for. And when browsing through your entertainment options in Windows Media Center, you don't have to interrupt what you're already enjoying—you can navigate the Media Center menus while continuing to view the movie, TV show, or photos already on your screen.

• Windows Photo Gallery Windows Photo Gallery in Windows Vista gives you the tools you need to easily organize, find, and view your photos and videos. You can edit, print, and share your photos from within Windows Photo Gallery, as well as transfer photos from your camera to your computer with a simple import process. Windows Photo Gallery now has photo-editing capabilities to help you with the most common digital photography tasks, such as cropping, rotating, red-eye removal, and automated or manual exposure and color adjustments. E-mail is one of the most popular ways to share images, so Windows Photo Gallery includes a photo e-mail wizard that lets you automatically resize a photo to send in e-mail. Windows Vista also makes it easy for you to download your photos onto devices such as mobile phones, portable music players that display images, and PDAs, so you can enjoy your photos and share them with others on the go.

• Much More... The Windows Vista for Home experience also offers features like Windows Movie Maker, Windows Media Player, and even advanced Gaming. With the new Windows Vista edition of Windows Movie Maker, you can quickly and easily import, edit, and organize all of your digital home videos. New tools, such as new effects and transitions, and improved graphics performance help you manage and edit your home videos. Windows Media Player 11 for Windows Vista gives you an easier way to enjoy and manage your digital music, video, and pictures on your PC. Connect to networked media devices around your home or seamlessly sync up with your portable digital media player to enjoy all your entertainment wherever you are. Finally, Windows Vista has enhancements that make it easier for you to access, play, and manage your games. The Game Folder is listed right on the Start menu and gives you a convenient list of all games currently stored on your PC. Thumbnail graphics for each game provide easy access to the games you want to play, and also display detailed information such as the game publisher and developer; when you last played; which version of the game you own; and the game release date, genre, and rating.

• A New Standard for Security Security is fundamental to the Windows Vista architecture. You can achieve your business and computing goals with confidence, knowing that Windows Vista provides more protection against the latest generation of security threats and provides efficient centralized management of security features. With built-in system integrity assurance, Windows Vista helps prevent your data from being compromised by malware and spoofing. Key Windows Vista security features are:


• User Account Control
• Windows Service Hardening
• Browser Security
• Outbound Firewall and Firewall/IPSec GP Management Integration
• Network Access Protection

• Tools for Mobile PCs Windows Vista makes it easier to use computers and networks while you're on the go. Connecting your computer to a variety of hardware and networks is faster, easier, and more secure than before, and synchronizing data between computers and devices is simple. Windows Vista incorporates many new features that are made specifically for the mobile user. Features include improved power management, a one-stop Windows Mobility Center, tools for tablet PCs, and the new Windows Vista Sync Center – one place where you can manage data synchronization in several scenarios.

• Small Business Minded In a small business with nowhere to turn for support? Windows Vista is the operating system that helps you keep your PCs running smoothly and securely, even without dedicated IT staff. Windows Vista provides powerful new ways to find and use your information and an improved ability to connect integrated technologies, networks, systems, and people—so you can focus on running your business.

• Simple Sharing and Collaboration In Windows Vista, sharing information and collaborating across groups between users is finally made easier. When multiple users share a computer using Windows Vista, sharing files or folders with specific users—or with all users on that computer—is easier than ever. When saving a file, it's now easier to tell whether the file is being saved into a personal profile or into the public profile associated with the computer. Across all Windows Vista sharing scenarios, a new Sharing Wizard helps you to specify other users you want to share a file with. Vista also offers Windows Meeting Space (formerly Windows Collaboration), which allows groups to instantly and securely form a shared, common session for up to 10 people in the same room.

• Improved Data Protection In a corporate network environment, securing access to data across shared computers—as well as access to the network itself—is easier for system administrators who use Windows Vista and Windows Server code named "Longhorn." Take a look at some of the features of Windows Vista that make the protection of corporate and client data much easier to manage. Windows Vista, in conjunction with the forthcoming Windows Server Longhorn, offers a better-together solution that simplifies remote access and ensures a high level of security—without a virtual private network (VPN) connection. Whether your employees work from the road or work remotely on a home computer, Windows Vista makes it quick and easy for them to access your corporate network whenever they need it.

• Much More… Windows Vista includes new and enhanced functionality that can help you resolve many common problems—often before a failure or data loss occurs. If there is a hard disk or system failure, the new Built-in Diagnostics feature provides easy-to-use backup and restore techniques to get you up and running again. Windows Vista also extends fax and scanning capabilities far beyond basic. The Windows Fax and Scan experience offers more productivity and flexibility than in the past. New enhancements offer more complete document handling and communications capability, integrated with improved scanning capability—which supports one-click scanning of documents from locally connected scanners, network-connected scanners, and multifunction print/scan/fax devices.