Windows XP eventually proved to be by far the most reliable Microsoft operating system to date for running audio applications, and installing a significantly different OS can be a gamble (look at the problems many musicians had at first when moving from Windows 98 to XP, and from Mac OS 9 to OS X). Given that many of us primarily use our PCs for making music, some may delay the move for even longer, or perhaps not make it at all. I expect the majority of musicians to hold back for at least a month or two until the wrinkles have been ironed out, and some may wait until the first Service Pack is released, to cure the inevitable issues that only surface when large numbers of people install a new operating system. When Vista does ship, hordes of PC enthusiasts will no doubt be queueing up to buy a copy, but those of us who have already experienced the moves from Windows 3.1 to 95, 98, ME, 2000 and XP will probably take a more cautious stance. After all, Microsoft hope to ship Vista before the end of 2006, and most of us want a new PC to last at least 18 months before it has to be pensioned off. Microsoft are expected to have released yet another Beta version of their forthcoming Vista operating system by the time you read this, but as I write in early 2006, people intending to upgrade their PC or buy a new one are already wondering whether it's worth trying to make it Vista-compatible. If you're thinking about a new PC, do you need to make sure it's Windows Vista-ready? We examine the relevant issues for the musician. One of the most appealing visual reasons to upgrade to Windows Vista will be this Flip 3D view, which lets you display all the currently open windows and select one using the mouse scroll-wheel or cursor keys.

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