Background
Instructional, Communication, and Information Technology (iCIT) is conducting a Windows Vista Deployment project in preparation for supporting Microsoft's new operating system. The ability to support Windows Vista is dependent on two primary elements:
- The ability of campus PC hardware to run the Vista operating system
- Compatibility of campus software with the Vista operating system
This analysis was conducted to determine the readiness of UW-W to support the Vista operating system.
Summary
This analysis found that 56% of PCs currently deployed across campus are capable of running the Vista operating system. This is a significant improvement from 40% of campus PCs that were capable of supporting Vista in July 2007. However, 11% of campus PCs must be replaced prior to running Vista, and 33% require hardware upgrades.
Several critical campus applications must be upgraded before Vista can be supported. Required upgrades to infrastructure, including Novell, involve significant time and labor. Some departmental applications must be upgraded, which will incur cost to departments. Currently, no applications require Vista in order to function. Also Vista does not introduce any significant new functionality.
Because of hardware and software compatibility issues and a lack of compelling business need, iCIT recommends that Vista deployment begin no earlier than Winterim 2008-2009.
Minimum Hardware Requirements
The Windows Vista operating system requires a more powerful computer than previous operating systems. To properly support Vista, iCIT established two minimum hardware standards:
- Vista Ready: Computers that have adequate hardware to run the Vista operating system
- Full Vista Experience: Computers that will support the enhanced graphical user interface and other user experience improvements introduced with Vista.
Table: iCIT Vista Hardware Standards
| Vista-Ready Configuration | Full Vista Experience | |
|---|---|---|
| Memory (RAM) | 1024MB | 2048MB |
| Processor (minimum) | Pentium 4 / 2GHz single processor | 1.5GHz Duo/Dual Core processor |
| Video (minimum) | On-board video card (PCs meeting the memory and processor requirements have adequate graphics capabilities) | On-board video card (256MB dedicated video RAM recommended for graphics-intense applications like CAD) |
| Hard Drive (minimum) | 30GB HDD | 30GB HDD |
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