After highlighting the new operating system's graphics capabilities, more rigorous security and far more powerful ability to handle games, music and videos, Bill Gates, Chairman of Microsoft Corp. said Vista would take computers to a whole new level.

    "We worked hard to build a new software platform, and we're so excited to see what people are going to do with it," Gates said at the British Library in London, "it will take entertainment to a whole new level. Even education will be changed dramatically."

    Microsoft called Windows Vista, which required a six billion U.S. dollars investment, the most important release of its dominant operating system since Windows 95 more than 10 years ago.

    Windows operating systems run on more than 95 percent of the world's computers, and its long-delayed new version is the first major release since it introduced Windows XP in 2001.

    Vista went on sale from midnight on Tuesday and many retailers in China, the United States, Japan and other countries stayed open to offer the most ardent Microsoft fans the chance to be the first to buy the software.

    Apple Inc calls Vista a copycat version of its Mac OS X Tiger operating system that introduced many of those new features. The iPod maker plans to introduce a new operating system of its own later this year. The Wall Street Journal's Walt Mossberg, in his review of Vista, called it a "worthy, but largely unexciting, product."

    A coalition of rivals including IBM , Oracle and Nokia last week said Vista would perpetuate practices found illegal by the European Union nearly three years ago and would hurt interoperability between software programs and electronic devices.

    (Agencies)

Related stories:

"Windows Vista" operating system debuts in Beijing

    BEIJING, Jan. 30 (Xinhuanet) -- Officials of Microsoft China and representatives of computer industry attend the launch party of Windows Vista and Office 2007 in Beijing Jan. 30, 2007. full story>> 

Windows Vista hits shelves in Japan

    BEIJING, Jan. 30 (Xinhuanet) -- Microsoft Corp's Vista operating system debuts on Tuesday in Japan with hundreds of people queuing up, braving cold weather to be among the first in the world to buy retail copies. full story>>

Microsoft extends support for Windows XP home editions

    BEIJING, Jan. 25 (Xinhuanet) -- Microsoft announced an addition of extended 5-year customer support phase for its two versions of Windows XP operating system, media reports Thursday quoted the company as saying. full story>>

Here comes Windows Vista -- yawn

    BEIJING, Jan. 22 (Xinhuanet) -- Here comes a new Windows operating system from Microsoft Corp. -- yawn.

    It's launch long delayed -- and the first in many years -- Microsoft plans an enormous marketing campaign to promote the software as a way to get more out of computers. full story>>

Vista software for sale or download online

    BEIJING, Jan. 18 (Xinhuanet) -- Microsoft Corp. is going somewhere it's never gone before and will make its new Windows Vista operating system available for sale and download online. full story>>

[1] [2] [3] [4] [5] [6] [7] [8]