Microsoft Windows Vista

Microsoft Windows Vista News

• Windows 7 sales outshine Vista

  November 5, 2009 9:37 AM PST

  Initial unit sales of Windows 7 outpaced those of Vista by 234 percent, leading to actual dollar sales that were 82 percent higher than Vista's, says NPD Group report.  Read more

  Posted in News - Microsoft by Lance Whitney

• FAQ: Buying the right Windows 7 upgrade

  November 5, 2009 4:00 AM PST

  Readers still have lots of questions on just which version of the software they need to buy in order to upgrade their PC. CNET News tries to offer some answers.  Read more

  Posted in Beyond Binary by Ina Fried

• Windows 7 upgrade version: The dos and don'ts

  November 2, 2009 11:41 AM PST

  CNET News' Ina Fried tries to explain what is and isn't possible (and legal) to do with an upgrade version of the Windows 7 operating system.  Read more

  Posted in Beyond Binary by Ina Fried

• Windows 7 usage growing quickly

  November 2, 2009 10:58 AM PST

  Less than two weeks after its launch, Windows 7 already accounts for more than 3 percent of computers on the Web. But the Mac continues to take share from Windows.  Read more

  Posted in Beyond Binary by Ina Fried

• Getting Blu-ray on a new 27-inch iMac

  October 23, 2009 1:10 PM PDT

  Apple's new iMac all-in-one desktops impressed us, especially the massive 27-inch model we reviewed this week. But we're left wondering what happened to the rumored Blu-ray drive option.  Read more

  Posted in Digital City Podcast by Joseph Kaminski

• Windows 7 and Microsoft's path to the cloud

  October 22, 2009 11:42 AM PDT

  Windows 7 is a big leap forward but misses the opportunity to turn Microsoft into a cloud player.  Read more

  Posted in Software, Interrupted by Dave Rosenberg

• Windows 7 born from Vista's frustrations

  October 22, 2009 4:00 AM PDT

  After a release that caused headaches for computer makers and customers alike, a humbled Microsoft set about doing things differently.  Read more

  Posted in Beyond Binary by Ina Fried

• See all Windows Vista news

Microsoft Windows Vista reviews from CNET Editors

Editor's rating: 3.5 stars		Windows Vista Ultimate The bottom line: Windows Vista is essentially warmed-over Windows XP. If you're currently happy with Windows XP SP2, we see no compelling reason to upgrade. On the other hand, if you need a new computer right now, Windows Vista is stable enough for everyday use. Read Review	$168.65 to $408.84

Editor's rating: 3.5 stars		Windows Vista Home Premium The bottom line: Windows Vista Home Premium is essentially warmed-over Windows XP Home Edition. If you're currently happy with Windows XP SP2, we see no compelling reason to upgrade. On the other hand, if you need a new computer right now, Windows Vista Home Premium is stable enough for everyday use. Read Review	$122.54 to $199.65

Editor's rating: 3.5 stars		Windows Vista Business The bottom line: Windows Vista Business is essentially warmed-over Windows XP. If you're currently happy with Windows XP SP2, we see no compelling reason to upgrade. On the other hand, if you need a new computer right now, Windows Vista is stable enough for everyday use. Read Review	$95.95 to $199.95

Editor's rating: 3.5 stars		Microsoft Windows 7 (Professional) The bottom line: Windows 7 is more than what Vista should have been, it's where Microsoft needed to go. How much damage Vista did and whether Windows 7 is enough for people to finally abandon Windows XP are questions that nobody has the answers to right now. Read Review	$270.99 to $299.99

See all Windows Vista reviews and prices

Windows Vista editors' system reviews

Editor's rating: 4.0 stars		Belkin N+ Wireless Router The bottom line: The Belkin N+ Wireless Router is a great performer with excellent range and throughput speed. If its bulky design and lack of 5GHz frequency support don't put you off, the router is worth every penny of its $100 or so price tag. Read Review	$72.95 to $119.99

Editor's rating: 4.0 stars		Velocity Micro Edge Z30 (Intel Core i7) The bottom line: Velocity Micro's Edge Z30 is the best deal going right now for midlevel gaming PCs featuring Intel's new Core i7 chips. The overclocked Core i7 860, a fast Nvidia graphics card, and a solid selection of features all around make it easy for us to recommend this system to anyone looking for a capable gaming desktop. Read Review	$1,099.00

Editor's rating: 4.0 stars		Asus K50IJ-RX05 The bottom line: As long as you won't need more than what it already has, the budget-friendly Asus K50IJ-RX05 is money well spent. Read Review	$449.95 to $479.97

See all Windows Vista enabled computer reviews

Microsoft Windows Vista Downloads

• Windows Vista Ultimate upgrade Upgrade to Windows Vista Ultimate from XP Pro, XP Home, XP Media Center, or XP Tablet PC. Added on 2007-01-29 15:02:07.0

  Editors' rating 0 stars

  394121 total downloads 4038 last week

• Windows Vista Home Premium upgrade Upgrade to Windows Vista Home Premium from XP Home or XP Media Center. Added on 2007-01-29 14:53:46.0

  Editors' rating 0 stars

  263749 total downloads 3001 last week

• Windows Vista Upgrade Advisor Check if your Windows XP-based PC can run Windows Vista. Added on 2007-01-18 17:30:21.0

  233351 total downloads 380 last week

• Windows Vista Home Basic upgrade Upgrade to Windows Vista Home Basic from XP Home with this download-only version. Added on 2007-01-29 14:47:07.0

  Editors' rating 0 stars

  141321 total downloads 1347 last week

Microsoft Windows Vista pictures

• Windows Vista SP1 installation

  Windows Vista SP1 installation

  View gallery

• Photos: Vista's first year

  A look back on Vista since Microsoft first released the consumer version of the latest Windows operating system.

  View gallery

• Images: Evolution of Microsoft's latest ad push

  Campaign that debuted with TV spots featuring Jerry Seinfeld and Bill Gates has shifted its focus from strange self-deprecating humor to taking on Apple.

  View gallery

• Images: A peek at Windows 7 release candidate

  ZDNet Australia offers a look at the upcoming release candidate of Windows 7 before Microsoft unveils the software to the public next week.

  View gallery

Microsoft Windows Vista video

• Microsoft Windows Vista

  Microsoft has more to do on its new operating system, but this first beta suggests that Windows Vista will be up to par with Linux and Apple Mac OS X.

  View video

• CNET Top 5: Reasons not to buy Windows Vista

  There are many reasons not to upgrade to Microsoft Windows Vista. Here are our five favorites.

  View video

• Windows Vista Build 5231

  Get a first look at Microsoft's new Windows Vista build in action.

  View video

• Daily Debrief: Is Windows 7 Vista all over again?

  Although Windows 7 is still months away from a public release, word on the street is that Microsoft's new OS is only marginally different from Vista. CNET senior writer Ina Fried got her hands on a prebeta laptop with Windows 7 and shares her first impressions with Kara Tsuboi on this edition of the Daily Debrief.

  View video