First is Windows Defender. While technically not a Vista-only feature since Microsoft has released versions for XP and Server 2003, it made it’s debut on Vista, and is included as a part of Vista. The versions for XP and Server 2003 are available as a free download.
Why Defender? Well, in the immortal words of Tony the Tiger, it’s great! Having this kind of security embedded into the OS is a good thing. The average user does not usually know when they are infecting themselves with some malicious software (malware). Sure, they’ve heard the term, but they probably aren’t savvy to the little tip-offs they encounter that should be warning signals. Instead, they end up clicking something that invites malware in to their PC. With Windows Defender, the OS will detect it and stop it, on the fly.
Windows Defender is peer-driven. That means that a large community of users is constantly contributing in some way to keep it up to date. The more eyes you have on a problem, the better equipped you are to solve it, so having users from every walk of life contributing their experiences to the project ensures comprehensive coverage.
For advanced users there is a “Software Explorer” in the Tools menu that allows you to view details about the software running on your system grouped by various categories. From the Software Explorer you can disable or enable programs, end processes and remove software.
Cnet called Defender "perhaps the best free antispyware application we looked at this year" when they reviewed it in December of 2007. It’s one of several great tools you should have in your anti-spyware/malware arsenal.
The other feature I really like about Vista is ReadyBoost. RAM is the component in a PC that most directly affects Windows performance. With ReadyBoost, the non-technical user can essentially dramatically expand the available RAM in their PC without taking covers off and messing with memory modules. All they need to do is pick up a cheap USB flash drive or an SD card and insert it into the computer. In the properties of the device there is a tab for ReadyBoost. Click the “Use this” option and you’re on your way to a perceptible improvement in system performance. You can never have too much RAM!
These two features are just a part of what makes Windows Vista a worthy operating system. The continuance of these feature into Windows 7 will make that OS even more truly impressive.
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