Will It Run on Vista?

Many people are wondering if the programs they use on a daily basis will be compatible with Windows Vista when it's released in January. The answer: Maybe. Many apps work fine on Vista, but a large number do not.

Unfortunately, Microsoft is not maintaining a list of apps that work and don't work with Vista. So leave it to the Internet to pick up the slack: Want to know if your software will work with Vista? This wiki is current up to Release Candidate 2, the most recent public release of the operating system. I presume it will be updated when Vista is released to business customers at the end of this month, so bookmark it for later use if you can't find a specific app listed (and there are so many applications to cover, that's likely to be the case).

What about hardware, you ask? That's covered on the wiki, too. It's not as comprehensive, but it's worth a look. Of course, anyone looking to upgrade an existing machine should run the Windows Vista Upgrade Advisor first. This tool from Microsoft will give you a quick look at any incompatibilities on your PC and offer advice on how you might correct them before installing Vista for real.

Previously: What's New in Windows Vista Anyway?