Everything you ever wanted to know about Windows 7  A bit less than three years ago, Windows Vista was officially launched after a long delay. The operating system brought a raft of long-overdue new features to the Windows platform to make it truly fit for hardware of the 21st century. In came a new graphics stack and sound stack, as well as significant security, networking, and storage changes.
The changes were all well and good—the graphics work in particular was essential to allow Windows to offer functionality equivalent to that found in Mac OS X for many years—but they came at a high cost. To take advantage of all the new features required the use of all-new Windows Vista hardware drivers. In the OS's early days, these were often slow, unreliable, or simply non-existent. In spite of the extended development process and lengthy open beta, many vendors were apparently caught off-guard by Windows Vista's release and its preference for new drivers, so they chose to ignore the new OS for many months. Read the whole review. Building a new computer? Check out the Q42009 Ars System Guides  A few short months have seen some amazing developments in the world of computers. They're not revolutionary—at least, most aren't—but looking at their effects on the System Guide, we see some nice new options for us to consider.
Most affected by recent developments are the Budget Box and Hot Rod. The Budget Box usually packs more performance than ever with each update, as does the Hot Rod, and it's getting to the point where we might not always want to bang on the the upper end of our price range because the best mix of performance and value might not always be at that mark. The God Box is also affected, but it's not as dramatic because the changes are easier to consider. If the new top-of-the-line from AMD or Intel is dramatically faster, it can be considered. It's not always straightforward, but it generally generates somewhat less debate. - The Budget Box: The Budget Box falls within the $600 to $800 range, and is aimed at getting you the most bang for your buck. While we aim for maximum value, this build is typically gaming-friendly, especially if you're not intent on pushing it too hard with the latest and greatest.
- The Hot Rod: This is our mid-tier system, and it falls somewhere between $1,400 and $1,600. Maximum gaming value is one of the The Hot Rod's main goals, but it's also suitable for media work and other duties.
- The God Box: If you're one of the blessed few who can afford to spend between $8,000 and $10,000 on a system, then the The God Box is for you. But because gluttony is a sin, some prefer to just pick a few parts from this when they're looking to give their Hot Rod a boost.
Top stories: Oct 23 - 30, 2009
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