Make Windows XP Look like Vista Using Microsoft Software

So, you've been using Windows XP ever since it was released, and it's okay... nothing fantastic. And now Vista has been out for a few months, but you're a little leery about it. You keep hearing stories of how much RAM, or how fast a processor, or how powerful a graphics card you would need to take advantage of all the features Vista comes with. So you've decided not to upgrade, or at least to wait a while until you need a new computer.

But what if you don't want to be left completely behind? Is there anything you can do to drag Windows XP (originally released in 2001), at least a few years into the future? Is there a way to get a few of Vista's features to work on XP?

Actually, there is, and surprisingly, a lot of the upgrades come directly from Microsoft itself!

In a recent addition to the Microsoft Small Business website, Microsoft has kindly done their own comparison of XP and Vista, and came up with four areas where Vista outshines XP. Those areas are:

1. Security and Backup
2. Efficiency and Productivity
3. Mobility and Networking
4. Performance and Reliability

I'd just like to highlight a few of these improvements in Vista, and point out that Microsoft actually makes quite a few of them available, free of charge, none the less, for XP users.

Under security, Microsoft mentions their Vista anti-spyware tool, Windows Defender, which they say "protects your computer against the latest generation of threats," and more. Well, Windows Defender is now available for Windows XP! Just head your browser to this page, and give it a try!

Among the top additions to Vista that supposedly enhance Efficiency and Productivity were the new Windows Sidebar (which offers users a quick-glimpse means of accessing system information, weather outlook, and other information), Windows Aero, the new theme Microsoft chose for Vista, that has an all-new look, new icons, and - assuming you have a fast enough processor - transparencies in the window borders and start bar. Also highlighted is Windows Searh, a meta search utility and the new version of Microsoft web browser, Internet Explorer 7.