Here are my notes from my install of Vista RC1 (Build 5568.16384.060827-1900) on a Dell E1405 Core Duo laptop with GMA 945:
-- Most notable of all with RC1 is that Aero Glass, which lets you see through windows and toggle/tab through 3D stack of windows, now works swimmingly (view image) with Intel's GMA 945, which has no discrete graphic card.
Vista has a new driver for the Intel GMA 945 graphics system (core duo) and it works well. No lagging. There was a lot of fuss around the Web with earlier betas because it simply was not clear who was going to get the "full" Vista experience, and with prices of laptops coming down with in-built graphics cards, it seemed a bit rich to not support it. I chose this $699 Dell E1405 as just the kind of machine that should be able to run it (with its 1GB RAM).
-- Clean install much quicker and all drivers except for media card reader were installed. However, all did not work properly, namely the MS-installed Broadcom Wi-Fi driver for my machine's Dell 1390 WLAN card.
-- Everything feels a LOT more finished and look and feel is near final; time will tell on reliability, etc.
InfoWorld's Test Center will be looking at it more closely and have a more in-depth preview for enterprise buyers soon. Follow InfoWorld's ongoing coverage of Vista here.
Some more screen grabs: Start-up greeting; Security Center
Posted by Mike Barton on September 1, 2006 05:38 PM
