Windows Vista Ultimate - A Truly Wonderful Experience
As mentioned in the 'system specifications' here, I have Windows Vista Ultimate w/ SP1.. and its great :-) Check the links below for more.
Windows Vista
Compare the editions of Windows Vista
And don't forget to make sure you have Service Pack 1 (SP1)
So.. just like any other Windows Versions, Vista can be tweaked for maximum and best performance too. In my opinion though, Vista as such is a wonderful OS and I am enjoying it very much (remember, the first time I ever sat in front of a Vista OS was when I got my laptop. But I have been having an awesome time with Vista ever since.)
First, please take a look here (for Les' wonderful, easy to follow, Vista Tips and Tweaks) and here (for some great free Windows software for many many different things, compiled by the wonderful Calvin).
Vista is not as bad as its made out to be - For me, I have managed to get ALL the essential program' running well and I have had no issues at all. In any case, the Windows OS Forum on NBR, has been an awesome place to get quick help and solutions, for any issues that come up. For me, I think Vista is a well organized OS with a lot better layout and UI, compared to previous versions. I have found it easy to wade through the OS, change settings, do the tweaks, find solution myself in some cases and so on.
Security features are great too. Though some people find the UAC annoying, I don't feel the same. I have just got used to it, and for what its worth, I find it quiet helpful too in learning about different things, particularly the safety of the program' I am installing on my system.
Customization options are great with Vista. The Complete PC Backup And Restore feature, that came with my Vista Ultimate is awesome. I must say its a great tool for recovering your system from unexpected failures. I had to do it once (not because my system failed, but because I messed it up beyond recognition - so its my fault and not Dell or M$) and it worked like a charm. My whole computer was restored to a previous state and it was awesome. I had to get in touch with M$ support once, for some clarifications on the System Restore Point feature and the M$ Technical Support guys were great too. After a while, my case was escalated, and from then on, the Escalation Engineer was in touch with all the while, till the issue was successfully resolved.
I will soon get in some nice tools, programs that I am currently using, some essential system utilities that I think is nice to have on your system, as well as a bit about using them. I will also get in some important tips to be followed when using some program's, so that we don't mess up the OS..... Please check back later.