Performance  

Performance

Windows Vista is designed to help make you more productive, with new features including Sleep, SuperFetch, External Memory Drive (EMD), and Hybrid Hard Drive. SuperFetch helps manage memory to get the most out of available RAM. EMD technology helps boost performance without adding RAM. Windows Vista also takes advantage of Hybrid Hard Drive technology to help improve battery life, performance, and reliability. With Windows Vista, your system is ready when you are.

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Windows Vista introduces a new power state called Sleep. In Windows XP, after you shut down your PC, it takes a long time to turn it back on. The new Sleep state in Windows Vista combines the speed of Standby with the data protection features and low power consumption of Hibernate. Resuming use when your PC is in the Sleep state takes just 2-3 seconds. You can shut down and restart your computer less often by using the new Sleep state, a simple one-click on and off experience which not only reduces power consumption, but also helps protect your data.

Sleep on desktop PCs

Sleep works in a different way on Windows Vista-based desktops than it does on Windows Vista-based laptops. When you turn off a Windows Vista-based desktop, all the documents, applications, and data that are currently in use are saved in two places. First, they are saved to the memory, or RAM, where they are quickly accessible (in Windows XP this was called Standby). Simultaneously, the information is saved to the computer's hard disk (in Windows XP this was called Hibernate). In Sleep, Windows Vista simultaneously saves the current user information to both memory and the hard disk.

In Sleep, Windows Vista uses the data saved to memory to help you restart faster after extended periods of non-use. Simply move the mouse or press any key on the keyboard, and the computer starts up within seconds.

The Sleep state uses the data saved to your hard disk to protect it in case of power loss. When you resume the use of your desktop after a power failure, Windows Vista will quickly restart from Sleep using the data saved to disk, with all of your data and applications intact.

Sleep on laptop PCs

On laptop PCs, you can enter the Sleep state by pressing the Power button or closing the laptop lid. Your data is saved to memory, letting you resume use faster. As battery power winds down, Windows Vista quickly transitions the data to disk to help keep the data safe. Windows Vista lets you resume use of your computer more quickly and reliably than previous versions of Windows.

SuperFetch

SuperFetch, a new feature in Windows Vista, allows applications and files to load much faster than on Windows XP-based computers. In previous versions of Windows, system responsiveness could be uneven. You may have experienced sluggish behaviour after booting your machine, after performing a fast user switch, or even after lunch. Although too many carbohydrates might slow you down after lunch, your computer slows down for different reasons. When you're not actively using your computer, background tasks—including applications such as automatic back-up and antivirus software—take this opportunity to run when they will least disturb you. These background tasks can take space in system memory that your applications were using. After you start to use your PC again, it can take some time to reload your data into memory, slowing down performance.

SuperFetch, a new technology in Windows Vista, understands which applications you use most, and preloads these applications into memory, so your system is more responsive when you first boot or when you switch to a different user profile. SuperFetch uses an intelligent prioritisation scheme that understands which applications you use most often, and can even differentiate which applications you are likely to use at different times (for example, on the weekend versus during the week), so that your computer is ready to do what you want it to do. SuperFetch can also prioritise your applications over background tasks, so that when you return to your machine after leaving it idle, it's still responsive.

External memory devices

Adding system memory (RAM) is often the best way to improve your PC's performance. More memory means more applications are ready to run without accessing the hard drive. However, upgrading memory is not always easy. You must learn what type of memory you need, purchase the memory, and open your computer to install the memory—which sometimes can invalidate your support agreement. Also, some machines have limited memory expansion capabilities, preventing you from adding RAM even if you are willing to do so.

Windows Vista introduces a new concept in adding memory to a system. USB flash drives can be used as External Memory Devices (EMDs) to extend system memory and improve performance without opening the box. Your computer is able to access memory from an EMD device much more quickly than it can access data on the hard drive, boosting system performance. When combined with SuperFetch technology, this can help drive impressive improvement in system responsiveness.

EMD technology is both reliable and secure. You can remove an EMD at any time without any loss of data or negative impact to the system; however, if you remove the EMD, your performance returns to the level you experienced without the device. Wear on the USB drive is not an issue when using it as an EMD. A unique algorithm optimises wear patterns, so that a USB device can run as an EMD for many years, even when heavily used. Finally, data on the EMD is encrypted to help prevent inappropriate access to data when the device is removed.

Hybrid Hard Drive

A Hybrid Hard Drive is a new type of hard drive with an integrated non-volatile flash memory buffer. If your machine is equipped with a Hybrid Hard Drive, Windows Vista takes advantage of this hardware to boot, hibernate, and resume use more quickly. Hybrid Hard Drive technology can also improve system reliability and battery life.

The hybrid drive is intended for mobile PCs running Windows Vista. Your data is written to the flash memory, which saves work for the mechanical hard drive—saving you battery power. The hybrid drive helps Windows Vista resume use faster from Sleep because data can be restored from flash memory faster than from the mechanical hard drive. And since the mechanical hard drive is not working when you are in Sleep state with the Hybrid Hard Drive, you have less risk of hardware problems with the hard drive when you're on the move. Windows Vista takes advantage of Hybrid Hard Drives to save battery life, resume use faster from hibernation, and improve reliability.