Windows Vista

Windows Vista (codenamed Longhorn) is an operating system released in 2007 by Microsoft Corporation. It is the successor to Windows XP and the predecessor to Windows 7. It was released six years after Windows XP's release due to a development reset.

Features
Windows Aero (Authentic, Energetic, Reflective, and Open) is the new GUI for Vista, featuring new transparencies, live thumbnails, live icons, and animations.

A new search component named "Windows Search" was introduced, featuring instant search results and the ability to search for certain metadata such as name, extension, size, date, or attributes. Windows Sidebar was also introduced and was a transparent panel anchored to the right side of the screen where a user can place desktop gadgets.

Updated programs included Internet Explorer 7 (a web browser), Windows Media Player 11 (a media player), and Windows Defender (an antivirus program). New programs include Windows Mail (a replacement for Outlook Express), Windows Calendar, and Windows Photo Gallery (a photo and movie library management application).