TechRepublic have a good article discussing 10 of the most popular myths that are in circulation about Vista.

Myth #1: You’ll have to buy a new, high-end PC to run Vista
Many in the mainstream media are claiming that to run Vista, you’ll almost certainly have to buy a new computer. This myth is undoubtedly being encouraged by hardware vendors, but it’s not true. I was able to install Vista on my existing Dell Dimension mid-priced system with no problems, and the existing video card, an ATI x600, runs Aero Glass.

Myth #2: Vista will solve all your security problems
Microsoft is touting Vista’s improved security, but no operating system is perfectly secure (and no OS ever will be). Running Vista doesn’t mean you don’t still need perimeter firewalls, antivirus protection, and other third-party security mechanisms.

Myth #3: Vista is no more secure than XP SP2
It’s true that, properly updated, Windows XP is a pretty secure OS. But Vista includes a number of new security enhancements that XP doesn’t have. For example, User Account Control (UAC) in Vista protects against attacks that rely on elevation of privileges. Internet Explorer 7, when running on Vista, leverages UAC to run in Protected Mode, which keeps Web applications from writing to system folders. IE7 doesn’t run in Protected Mode on XP.

Myth #4: The only thing new about Vista is the eye candy
Your first impression of an operating system, like your first impression when meeting another person, is often based on appearance. And Vista’s appearance does make an impression. With Aero Glass turned on, the transparent window borders, 3 D animations, and other visual effects make it clear (no pun intended) that this is a whole new Windows.

However, the changes to Vista amount to more than just a pretty interface. In addition to the security improvements discussed above, many aspects of the operating system have been reworked to improve usability and provide new functionality.

Myth #5: You can’t dual boot Vista with another operating system
One of the strangest and most inaccurate statements I heard was that “With Vista, you can’t run two operating systems on the same computer like you could in the past.” That’s news to me, as I’m currently running two computers that dual boot Vista and XP. As with previous versions, a boot menu is displayed when the computer starts, and you can choose either Vista or Previous version of Windows.

Myth #6: Vista requires (or includes) Office 2007
I’ve also seen several references to the need to upgrade to Office 2007 when you install Vista. Well, of course you can, but it’s by no means a requirement. Office 2003 runs fine on Vista. This bit of misinformation seems to be most often used in articles that inflate the projected cost to deploy Vista; you can make those numbers look higher if you add in the cost of upgrading Office, too.

Myth #7: Most old applications and peripherals won’t work with Vista
Circulating amongst the FUD (fear, uncertainty, and doubt) being spread about Vista is the idea that upgrading will subject you to all kinds of application incompatibilities. Some programs made for XP, especially those that hook into the kernel, like antivirus programs and some system utilities, won’t work with Vista. However, the majority of applications that run on XP will also run on Vista.

Myth #8: You have to buy a Premium version of Vista if you have a dual core machine
There was initially some confusion over the specification that Vista Home Editions support only a single processor. Some folks took this to mean that that version of Vista wouldn’t run on dual core machines.

Dual core CPUs do contain two processors–but they’re combined on one chip or die. This is called chip-level multiprocessing and it’s different from having two separate physical processors installed on the same machine.

Myth #9: You won’t be able to play ripped music in Vista
Interestingly, the people who are spreading this one all seem to be folks who have never used Vista (and, according to many of them, never will). The real story: I have no problem playing music files that were ripped from CDs on Windows Media Player 10 or in Vista’s Windows Media Center application. Yes, I legally own the CDs, but Vista has no way of knowing that. All of the media that imported from my XP Windows Media Center computer, including recorded TV programs, played without a problem.

Myth #10: Vista costs a lot more than XP
Ever since pricing for the various editions of Vista was announced, I’ve heard a lot of griping and grumbling about how much it costs. Windows XP came in only two versions that were available at retail: Home, which was priced at $199 for the full package and $99 for the upgrade, and Professional, which was priced at $299 for the full package and $199 for the upgrade.

Vista gives you many more options:

* Home Basic: $199 full, $99 upgrade
* Home Premium: $239 full, $159 upgrade
* Business: $299 full, $199 upgrade
* Ultimate: $399 full, $259 upgrade

Everyone seems to be focusing on the price for Ultimate, but if you look at the versions that are directly comparable to the two versions of XP (Home Basic and Business), you’ll see that they cost exactly the same as their XP counterparts did five years ago.

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