Windows Media Player 11 functions virtually the same way as its predecessor. Microsoft claims the new search function and album art browser make it easier to navigate and use.
Many hardware device drivers for Vista are not ready yet. Hopefully, they will become more plentiful as Vista's Jan. 30 launch date approaches.
Vista immediately detected that my HP printer was incompatible. The printer still did not work when I attempted to load the software and drivers.
Attempts to access shared folders on a Windows XP PC from a Vista machine over a local network were routinely rejected.
The "Sharing and Discovery" dialog prompts you to switch "File Sharing," "Public Folder" sharing and other choices on or off. After inadvertently switching all of the choices to "on" -- enabling "Password Protect Sharing" -- posed difficulties, I was blocked from accessing the shared folder from another PC when my login name was not recognized.
Enabling file sharing between PCs with Vista is much easier when compared to the often painstaking process under Windows XP, but it remains quirky. Vista, for example, blocks you from accessing the "Set Up File Sharing" option in the "Network and Sharing Center" menu unless you are first connected to a local network.
The Parental Control settings could block access to most porn sites I tried to browse, but the settings were also easy to get around. For example, I could access porn sites that were not in English. Vista's parental controls also blocked Wikipedia's entry on the subject of pornography.
Vista's anti-spyware software has been readily available as freeware for some time, courtesy of Microsoft. Running regular scans using Vista's Windows Defender in addition to established freeware programs such as Spybot Search and Destroy is is a good idea, though. Running just one anti-spyware package is often far from thorough.
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