I have a Centrino laptop with 512MB of memory and Intel Express Graphics. Will this run Windows Vista when it emerges, or am I better to stick with XP? Phil Mayor
Most PCs that run Windows XP will run Vista, and you already have the recommended minimum memory. However, you also need a graphics system that supports the new Windows Display Driver Model (WDDM) and 64MB of graphics memory to use Vista's new Aero Glass 3D graphics interface.
I don't believe your Intel Express Graphics will qualify, and therefore you will either have to install a separate graphics card (if your notebook has Intel's 915PM Express chipset - not 915GM - and a suitable slot) or settle for running Vista with what is so delightfully termed a "Windows XP-comparable graphics experience".
According to Microsoft, integrated graphics systems that do support WDDM include Intel's 945G Express chipset and ATI's RS400 and RS480 family chipsets.
Any graphics card that currently supports Microsoft's DirectX 9 should also be OK. Details are emerging at Microsoft Technet.
You can find out what your PC has installed by going to Start|Programs| Accessories|System Tools and clicking on System Information. To see the graphics info, click Components and then Display. This will tell you the type of hardware, memory size and level of hardware support for DirectX. Prepare to be disappointed!
If you are buying a new PC this year, it's worth making sure it is "Vista ready" and supports DirectX 9 and WDDM. But if you are already running Windows XP SP2 on a machine that is not WDDM-compatible, there may not be a strong reason to upgrade.
Microsoft is working to make key features of Vista - the Avalon graphics subsystem, Indigo web services technology and WinFX programming interface - available for XP SP2, probably next year.
Microsoft recognises that most users only "upgrade" their version of Windows when they buy a new PC. However, it hopes that making the new technologies available on XP SP2 will encourage developers to use them to create new programs.
