Microsoft today will unveil a new website aimed at informing consumers about Windows Vista’s hardware requirements, among other things. As we reported earlier, there are two levels of recommendations for Windows Vista, those dubbed “Vista-Capable” and those dubbed “Premium-Ready.” Microsoft has now revealed the specs in each category, and here they are:
[B]Minimum Requirements (Vista-Capable PCs):
[ul]
[li]800 MHz Intel-compatible processor[/li]
[li]512MB of RAM[/li]
[li]DirectX 9.0-Capable Graphics Processor[/li]
[li]20GB HD[/li]
[/ul]
Recommended Requirements (Premium-Ready PCs):
[ul]
[li]1 GHz Intel-compatible processor[/li]
[li]1GB RAM[/li]
[li]DirectX 9.0-Capable Graphics Processor, with 128MB graphics memory. (64MB of graphics memory to support a single monitor less than 1,310,720 pixels [no more than 1440x900]; 128MB of graphics memory to support a single monitor at resolutions from 1,310,720 to 2,304,000 pixels [no more than 1920x1200]; 256MB of graphics memory to support a single monitor at resolutions higher than 2,304,000 pixels [more than 1920x1200]).[/li]
[li]40GB HD with at least 15GB “free space”[/li]
[/ul][/B]
What’s the difference between the two recommendations? Machines that are only “Vista Capable” can indeed run Vista, but as we reported earlier, those machines will not be able to run the new Aero user interface.
For the PC enthusiast, the specifications—even for the “premium” experience—are tame. Joe Consumer might not feel the same way, however. 1GB of system RAM has not been common in default OEM configurations from companies such as Dell until recently, although most have been eager to sell upgrades. In fact, while 1GB of RAM is standard across Dell’s popular XPS line, their bargain-oriented “Basic Desktops” still come standard with 256MB or 512MB of RAM, although upgrades are still possible. (I shudder at the thought of running Windows XP with only 256MB or 512MB of RAM!)
