Vista-Tastic Terms: The Lingo of Windows Vista

[Jason Dunn]

<div class='os_post_top_link'><a href='http://www.pcworld.com/resource/article/0,aid,125871,pg,1,RSS,RSS,00.asp' target='_blank'>http://www.pcworld.com/resource/article/0,aid,125871,pg,1,RSS,RSS,00.asp</a><br /><br /></div><i>"Like all Windows before it, Windows Vista will introduce a number of new technologies and features--and, as usual, Microsoft has coined terms (most of them trademarked) for each and every one. Here's a quick glossary. BitLocker: Drive-encryption technology designed to safeguard data from unauthorized users. The feature is primarily intended to protect systems that have been stolen or hacked...OCUR (OpenCable Unidirectional Receiver): Devices such as TV tuners that will leverage Windows Vista's HDTV features, including support for one-way CableCards, digital video recording, and the ability to stream recorded programs to Media Center Extenders throughout a home."</i><br /><br />A quick but helpful read to learn some of what's coming with Windows Vista.

[ctmagnus]

These two sound interesting:

ReadyBoost: A cheap alternative to buying extra RAM, ReadyBoost lets your PC use free memory on a USB flash drive to augment RAM. You'd need, at a minimum, a drive with 256MB of free space that can read data at 2.5 megabits per second and write at 1.5 mbps; to qualify for a Windows Vista logo, the drive would need 500MB of space and have read/write speeds of 5 mbps/3 mbps, respectively.

SPR (System Performance Rating): This is basically a benchmark that assigns a numerical rating (on a scale of 1 to 5) to your system and identifies components that are slowing it down. It's accessible from the Vista Control Panel.