Windows Aero
This feature is included in the following editions of Windows Vista:
Windows Aero is the desktop experience available to PCs using a compatible graphics adapter and running the Home Premium, Business, Ultimate, or Enterprise edition of Windows Vista. Windows Aero offers a user experience that makes it easier to visualize and work with your information, and it provides a smoother, more stable desktop experience.
Windows Flip and Windows Flip 3D, enable you to manage the windows on your desktop by arranging them in a visually striking yet convenient way.
Translucent clarity.
Glass
Immediately noticeable is the translucent effect on the Start menu and window borders, a professional-looking "glass" design enhanced by subtle effects such as dynamic reflections and smooth animations.
You can change the color, the saturation, and even the level of transparency to get exactly the look and feel you want.
Personalize your windows.
Dynamic windows
When you minimize a window, it animates to its place on the taskbar, so it's easier to find when you need it.
High dots-per-inch (dpi) support
Windows Aero supports high-resolution monitors, so you can get a laptop or flat-screen monitor that's smaller in size but shows visually richer, displaying high-resolution, easy-to-read images. Windows Vista can scale both its interface and certain programs to 144 dpi for high-demand, graphics-intensive programs.
Live taskbar thumbnails
In Windows Aero, live taskbar thumbnail images display the actual contents of both windows that are currently open and those that are minimized in the taskbar. When you rest your mouse pointer on a tile on the taskbar, you'll see the "live" contents of that window without having to bring it to the foreground.
Live taskbar icons.
Windows Flip (ALT+TAB)
Windows Flip is an update to the feature known as ALT+TAB in previous versions of Windows. Windows Flip shows you live thumbnails of your open windows instead of generic icons. One of the windows displayed will always be your desktop itself, which allows you to minimize all the open windows on your desktop.
ALT+TAB shows a tiny view of every window.
Windows Flip 3D
Windows Flip 3D allows you to find the window you want. When you press Start+TAB, Windows Flip 3D dynamically displays all the open windows on your desktop in a 3D, stacked view. In this view, you can rotate through your open windows to find the one you're looking for. Windows Flip 3D can also show live processes such as playing video. You can also use the arrow keys or the scroll wheel on your mouse to smoothly flip through the open windows and select the window you need.
Page through open windows with three-dimensional ease.
Smooth-performing desktop
When you use Windows Aero, open windows glide across your screen as you move or resize them. You'll see no redraw artifacts, latency, or "tearing" effects that sometimes appear on existing interfaces. In Windows Aero, you'll also experience fewer graphics driver–related system failures and stop errors.