If there's one thing I can claim, it's that I've installed Windows Vista/Longhorn dozens--no, hundreds--of times over the years. I've installed build after build on multiple machines: Desktops, notebooks, Tablet PCs, and, most recently, to my family's Media Center PC. Many builds I've installed repeatedly, over and over again. And on almost all of these Vista builds, I've also installed a wide range of software. All of these experiences give me a pretty thorough background for part two of my Windows Vista Beta 2 review, in which I'll describe what you'll go through when you install these pre-release Windows version, which you can do, now that Microsoft has issued it to the public through a Customer Preview Program (CPP; for more information see Microsoft's Web site). Specifically, this review will focus on the interactive install process, which has been streamlined dramatically since Windows XP, and on Vista's post-install configuration. In a future showcase, I will detail the Vista deployment options designed for corporations and IT pros.
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