VistaKnowledge.com

With every previous version of Windows, Microsoft has released what it calls a “Plus” pack but really is an expansion pack for the operating system to add features. Vista is no different and will see its Plus! pack released in a few weeks. The Vista Plus! pack is aimed primarily at Vista Basic users and adds additional features to that operating system.

Vista Business users may benefit from it was well. Users of Home Premium and Ultimate will not gain any additional features from the pack. The Plus! Pack contains four games, the Vista Aero interface and Windows Media Center. Support for Tablet PCs and touchscreen technology is included as well. Vista Aero, Media Center, the games and other features were left out of Vista Basic and Media Center was left out of Vista Business.

The idea behind the Plus! pack seems to be converting Windows Vista Basic into some kind of deformed version of Home Premium. I can appreciate that but let’s look at a few things here. Most desktops and laptops ship with either Vista Home Premium or Ultimate, all of which include the features that the Plus! pack offers. That leaves Business which would benefit from the addition of Media Center but that’s it.

Any computer that ships with Vista Basic is probably not capable of running Aero Glass to begin with or any other edition of Vista due to the additional strain on the already weak hardware.

While it does advertise support for Tablet PCs and touchscreens, no Tablet PC or touch enabled laptop would ship with Vista Basic as support for Tablet and touch features is included in every other edition of Vista (Premium, Business, Ultimate). Most manufacturers realize this and equip Tablet PCs with Vista Premium or Business.

FutureShop (the Canadian equivalent of Best Buy) reports the price as $39.99 CAD but it wouldn’t be completely surprising if the price is $39.99 US as well.

Alright, so let’s say you want to buy Vista to install yourself and you foolishly decide on Vista Basic. An OEM edition of Vista Basic costs $95 but after you install it you decide that since it’s missing all the features that make Vista, Vista, you decide to purchase the $39.99 Plus! Pack.

Some simple math here, $95 + $39.99 = $134.99. Let’s pour some salt in that wound, shall we, an OEM edition of Vista Home Premium is $110, a savings of $24. Wow, Microsoft, just wow.

There are some savings here if you decide to go the retail route with Vista Basic and then purchase the Plus! Pack but when you can save so much money buy going the OEM route, it doesn’t make sense to buy a retail version of anything from Microsoft.

The Vista Plus! pack may be the most useless piece of software to come out of Redmond since Windows ME. If the Plus! pack added features from Ultimate into Business and Premium, well, that might have made it worthwhile.

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