PCTips Box

Is Windows Vista Faster Than XP?
Our Windows Vista coverage began with a hands-on diary by MobilityGuru’s Barry Gerber, followed by an assessment of gameplay under Windows Vistaby graphics presidente Darren Polkowski, as well as a complete feature rundown of Vista. Barry took the new operating system and its look & feel with a grain of salt, while Darren was disappointed because OpenGL support was dropped along the way, meaning that Windows Vista currently offers horrible performance for graphics applications utilizing the Open Graphics Library.

We are sure that mainstream users will appreciate the improved usability of Windows Vista, and the average office/multimedia user will likely never notice the lack of OpenGL. However, a chapter on the overall performance of Windows Vista requires more dedication. In particular, two things require an in-depth analysis: (more…)

Bulletproofing Internet Explorer 7 on the desktop is a process that can be customized in accordance with specific deployment scenarios. The level of personalization comes inherent with the flexibility of the security settings available in the browser. Although IE7 delivers by default a secure configuration, there is always space for tweaking security in order to either relax or increase restrictions. Always bear in mind that an equilibrium is necessary between limitations and usability. Microsoft is even offering a whitepaper designed to guide users in building an enhanced IE secure environment for the desktop.

“As more and more enterprises adopt Internet Explorer 7, we’ve been getting more questions about deploying and securing IE7 on the desktop. (more…)

ActiveSync is no more for Microsoft Windows Vista and is getting a face lift called the Windows Mobile Device Center.

Currently it is available as a Release Candidate 3 (RC3) for download.

Windows Mobile Device Center is the new name for ActiveSync in Microsoft Windows Vista, and provides overall device management features for your Windows Mobile-based devices in Windows Vista, including smartphones and pocket PCs. All of the features previously available in ActiveSync are available in Windows Vista, including synchronization and setting up your partnership. (more…)