Has anyone been looking at Windows Vista, the new OS beta that Microsoft is putting out? It's supposed to be a lot more secure than any previous Windows operating system because it doesn't rely on kernel technology so much.

I have heard previously that it is supposed to be a Game Platform OS because of it's supposedly vibrant graphics. But I don't really see that feature being emphasized in the ads and commentary from Microsoft about it yet.

Here is a link - what do you think? Or as HyPNO says .... DISCUSS.


ps-I am by no means shilling for Microsoft. It's just that I'm a bit disappointed with the advertising thinking it was going to be very game oriented.

Windows vista is supposively a RAM eater by what I've read.

If it is really needing that much RAM it will force retail computer companies to get more, cheap RAM.

If it does eat up as much graphics power as it looks to, then retail computer companies will put better graphics cards into the computers, for windows vista to eat resources from.

Now, what I predict is everyone is gonna gack at how "horribly" it is made, and then 2 years in the future it will be necessary.

Windows ads say that you will be able to handle RAM better with Vista, but I really don't trust anything that they ever since XP ... or maybe even since windows ME.

But listen to this = Windows Vista will make it possible to play your XBox 360 with your PC and use your XBox 360 controller on PC (which you can already do since it is USB=hot swap interface) and Vista will also make it easier to install games. The PC is going to be the center of all your media sometime probably - radio, television (Tivio), we already have DVD movies and MP3 players. Apparently Vista will maike it easier to store more games and switch between them faster. This is just all stuff I've read.

I'd like to read more about their graphics effects and see some examples. That, I guess, is my main concern when playing a game. I want total immersion into a beautiful fantasy world. Unfortunately with some of the games I play and my present hardware, I sometimes have to turn down visual effects and on one game even had to turn off the sound effects as well as the music.

Also, I've read about a new thing called a Physics Card for PCs that is supposed to be able to handle better things like the havo engine effects of Oblivion, for example. It's supposed to deal with things like the fact that NPCs shouldn't be able to shoot through walls, or fall through the floor, or shoot around a corner, things like that - correcting the physics of the game to be more realistic to real life. Has anyone also heard of this physics engine? Is there a software/hardware thread that I should be posting this in, btw? I've never looked for one here.

from what ive heard windows vista might look good but it runs slow

microsoft is still working on it

The physics engine is a PCI card that plugs into your system, and on some games handles physics and puts new effects on it.

Card costs about 250 USD last time I checked. And it lowers FPS in games greatly if you dont have a fast processor. If you do it only slightly lowers FPS.

Right now the physics processor is new, and not too great. Note that I only said some games, not all games.

You're better off when building a new computer, adding that 250 dollars into processor than buying a physics processor. So you get a fast processor that is compatible with all the game's physics. Instead of slowing yourself down to be compatible with a few games.


http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?...N82E16814143055 Thats what a PhysX Processing unit is like

Thanks for that info, Person.

Thanks for that info, Person.

Windows Vista will be very good for graphics since it will feature DirectX 10. The downside is that you'll need a new DX10 compatible graphics card as well.

Not sure if this link will take you to the correct place, but I'll try:

Click here

It should show a 'before and after' example of how Flight Simulator X looks with and without Win Vista and DX10. Don't know if anyone else here is a flight sim fan like me, but believe me when I say that this is a great look for a flight sim! Remember the entire world is featured, so the textures etc. are generic. Imagine what the graphics of 'normal' games like Oblivion could look like, where developers can concentrate on a small area with much better graphics.

(Edit: If you browse to the next page in that thread (click 'Neste' towards the bottom of the page) you'll see some other nice screenshots of FSX. This is with standard Win XP/DX9, but still looks pretty nice. MS have also released a demo of FSX that you can try. They've never released a demo of one of their flight sims before)

wow, that is a remarkably improved graphics look, Olav. Thanks for the example (and translation!)

Well I didn't post much of a translation, I think, but you're welcome . If anyone wonders that page is in Norwegian.

Anyway here is another page in German. If you have the patience to wait until the page loads there are a few more before and after DX9 & DX10 shots towards the bottom:

http://www.aerosoft-online.de/flusipilot/f...06/gc_2006.html

Sorry for not posting anything else than flight sim shots, but as of now I don't know of any other program that will be using DX10. Any tips appreciated!