Windows XP has been the standard Microsoft operating system since 2001, and little has changed bar some minor differences when SP2 was released.

Windows Vista Release Candidate 1 is now available to download for free, and is about as different from its incumbent as is possible.

When compared to Beta 2 – the previous version of Vista made available by Microsoft – RC1 comes with 'adjustments' rather than sweeping changes.

But there are tweaks to the user interface, more device drivers and performance enhancements (which we’re currently unable to test).

When compared to Windows XP, Windows Vista is full of new features. Here we describe some of the most significant.

If you are tempted to install and run Vista RC1, it can be downloaded via Microsoft’s Windows Vista Customer Preview Program, although there are some restrictions.

But before you commit it to your hard drive, be warned: it may no-longer carry the “beta” designation, but Windows Vista is by no means finished. There will be changes between now and the final release and there are still bugs to be fixed.

We’d advise you to read our warning at the end of the preview before installing.

Installation

Provided you have a compatible system, Windows Vista is the easiest, most hands-off installation yet. Based on disk imaging technology rather than file-by-file copying, installation times are kept down.

After entering a minimal set of details at the start, you leave it alone until it reaches the password prompt.

If you’re new to Windows Vista, the first thing you’ll notice after installat ion is how different it looks. In fact it’s very difficult to find a reference to Vista without the words 'eye' and 'candy' appearing pretty early on in the proceedings.

See our image gallery of Vista's new look.

The new Aero interface requires, and takes full advantage of, the capabilities of modern graphics hardware to provide an environment that not only looks pretty but is also faster and smoother.

Graphics cards are capable of high-quality, complex graphics at breathtaking speeds, so why put up with a desktop where windows tear and flicker as you move them?

Effects such as transparency aren’t just for show; they allow you to see more of what’s happening on your desktop, while subtle use of blurring keeps your eye focused on the topmost windows.