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Which PC Is A Windows Vista PC?: Page 2 of 5

On the other hand, Web-based seller PCs for Everyone offered a configuration application similar to HP's that included a link to a more detailed version of the Microsoft chart (with one mistake -- it erroneously omits support for Aero from the Vista Business column).

Perhaps the best job of explaining Vista's demands I found was done by the Dell Web site. A "Hardware Requirements" chart offered two columns that correspond to Microsoft's own criteria for "Vista Capable" and "Premium Ready" PCs, and added a useful third column, "Dell Recommends." Unfortunately, the chart wasn't easy to find -- it was buried under the "Windows Vista" icon that appears on the home page for each of Dell's PC product categories.

Vista Capable Vs. Premium Ready
The primary features that create the most confusion for consumers -- and the ones that seem least explained on vendor sites -- are the Vista features that have gotten the most attention: its new graphics model and flashy Aero interface. While HP's site, for example, does a good job of recommending 2GB of memory when a shopper clicks on the button to select Vista Ultimate, it doesn't attempt to explain the more complex requirements for graphics hardware that uses a WDDM driver and 128MB of memory.


Which PC Is A Vista PC?


•  Shopping For Vista PCs

•  Vista Capable Vs. Premium Ready

•  What Do The Stickers Mean?

Unfortunately, Microsoft itself hasn't been much help. While Microsoft created a set of designations that indicate whether a PC has Vista installed, or is capable of running some version of Vista (see sidebar, "Vista Sticker Shock"), the program's designations of "Windows Vista Capable" and "Windows Vista Premium Ready" don't provide a complete answer to crucial distinctions.

For the record, Microsoft says that a "Vista Capable" PC (that is, one that would run Vista Home Basic), should include:

  • A "modern" processor (at least 800MHz).
  • 512 MB of system memory.
  • A graphics processor that is DirectX 9 capable.