January 30, 2007
Tuesday at midnight the first new Microsoft Operating system since 2001 was being offered in stores all over the country.
Microsoft marked the Vista launch with a series of celebrations in New York complete with acrobatics and blaring music.
Vista went on sale in 70 countries Tuesday but customers weren't camping outside stores like they were for next generation game consoles like Playstation 3.
Microsoft says that they're not surprised because the new system is not revolutionary but evolutionary.
Microsoft says Vista is a huge improvement over previous computing platforms. They list examples such as the 3-D graphical interface and document icons that give at a glance views.
Vista has also folded in programs that users once had to buy separately, including automated backup systems and some spyware protections.
But the new system does require more from your computer. In order to run Vista consumers must have at least one gigabyte of system memory and will require users to upgrade older software and devices in order for them to work with Vista.
Microsoft Launches Vista 