Windows Vista is more than half a year from release but Microsoft recently unveiled more specific information about hardware requirements for its next generation operating system on its Windows Vista home page. Will your PC be able to run Vista?

Based upon the stated hardware requirements, it appears most PCs made in the past two to three years will be able to run at least the base functions of Vista. However, to receive all the advantages of the new OS, including the Aero graphical interface, you may need to upgrade your hardware.

 

The core functions of Vista will run on what Microsoft calls a Windows Vista Capable PC with: 800 MHz or faster processor, 512 MB of system memory, 15 GB of available capacity on your hard drive and a graphics processor that is DirectX 9 capable.

To get the full Vista verve, you’ll need a Windows Vista Premium Ready PC with: 1 GHz processor, 1 GB of system memory, audio output, Internet access, DVD-ROM drive, 40 GB hard drive capacity with 15 GB available, and a Windows Aero capable graphics processor with a minimum of 128 MB graphics memory.

For most business users, it’s the latter requirements for graphics processor and graphics memory which will prove the biggest hurdle. While computers designed for gamers use powerful graphics processors, the typical business PC hasn’t needed one, until now.

Is there an easy way to determine if your current system can handle Vista? Yes there is, or at least, there was until about a day ago. Microsoft developed Windows Vista Upgrade Advisor for Windows XP. I installed and ran this beta test software on a PC that’s two years old. Upgrade Advisor said it could run the core capabilities of Vista, but requires a graphics upgrade to run Aero.

The Advisor software also listed a number of software drivers that required upgrades to operate peripherals such as printers and scanners. Of course, most of these Vista-capable software drivers are not generally available at this time, since many hardware makers have not released Vista drivers to the public. I suspect it is the muddle caused by users contacting manufacturers for these unavailable software drivers which led Microsoft to temporarily pull this software from its site.

After suitable modifications, presumably the Upgrade Advisor beta will be restored soon on this page. Update: The software is back. A final release of Upgrade Advisor, which will also assess software applications for compatibility, should be available in October.

Should businesses plan to upgrade to Windows Vista? From what I’ve seen of an early version, the security improvements will be well worth the upgrade. However, I believe Aero’s eye candy will appeal primarily to home computer users, so a graphics upgrade isn’t critical.

Technorati Tags: Windows Vista, Microsoft, operating system, Vista, Aero, Windows Vista Upgrade Advisor, software drivers