Redmond, November 19:

Microsoft’s (MS) new operating system Windows Vista will finally go on sale from January 30 after several delays, according to Axel Vahldiek of the Hanover-based computer magazine c’t. Then there will be Vista Ultimate, which compares best with Windows XP Professional. Ultimate will have all the new additions of the operating system.

MS has equipped Vista with thousands of new functions, but users may not notice all of them. One big change will be a new user interface called Aero. “In addition, MS has done a lot to ensure security,” said Vahldiek. That means users are not automatically forc-ed to deal with a lot of administrator functions. Laptop users will be able to use a function called Bitlocker, which encrypts the entire hard drive, meaning it’s protected in case of theft.

People who did not use Windows XP on a daily basis will probably have no trouble getting used to Vista, predicts Vahldiek. Regular users will have to get used to individual changes. Vahldiek recommends computer users wait before buying Vista until the initial bugs have been resolved.

However, no major problems have occurred in test versions so far. US prices for the complete versions of Home Basic, Home Premium and Ultimate run at approximately $193, $227 and $381 respectively.