Windows Vista February CTP

Windows Sidebar/Gadgets: Now you can run mini apps like Mac OS users currently do. Windows Vista allows you to add "widgetlike" apps to tell the time in different countries, the weather outside your door, or news and sports feeds--right on the desktop.

New network administration tools: To assist large corporations in rolling out Vista to hundreds of workstations, Microsoft made enhancements to the XImage tool and Windows imaging technologies, allowing IT staff to create Vista images that span multiple CDs, then edit those images (for example, in the case of new Windows Updates or Service Patch rollouts). Along with that is the Windows System Imaging Manager (SIM), which allows IT staff to edit and configure custom XML components offline within a system image, detailing specific configuration instructions to a desktop PC during Windows Vista installation. Working with the next-generation servers, code-named Longhorn, Microsoft also enables IT staff to deploy remotely over a network, giving staff yet another option. The User State Migration Tool 3 includes encryption capabilities for secure migrations, as well as XML-scripts for enterprise-wide installations. Microsoft also made enhancements to the Group Policy Management Console, allowing an IT administrator to create different policies for different users using the same machine, for example, within libraries and schools. Expanded policy settings now include printers, troubleshooting and diagnostics, power management, Internet settings, Internet protocol security (Ipsec), and firewall settings. New policy settings also control removable storage devices across a wide enterprise. This allows IT administrators to control what types of devices can and cannot be installed on a given workstation. Settings also allow for specific read/write access, so that USB flash drives can't be used to import malicious code or to copy proprietary software.

See more CNET content tagged:

IPSec,

IT administrator,

Microsoft Windows Vista,

staff,

workstation

User reviews

• Average user rating: 2.5 stars out of 19 reviews
• My rating: 0 stars Write review

• Showing 3 of 19 user reviewsSee all 19 user reviews

• 5.0 stars

  7 out of 12 people found this review helpful

  "Blows OS X and XP out of the water"

  by thefox84 on February 23, 2006

  read more

• 0.5 stars

  "FRUSTERATING BEYOND BELIEF"

  by TANK3283 on February 13, 2007

  read more

• 2.0 stars

  "Needs More Work"

  by webterractive on March 24, 2006

  read more

• See all 19 user reviews Write review

Where to buy Windows Vista February CTP

This product is in beta. It is not available to the general public.