Comparing Windows XP, Windows Vista and Windows 7
Windows XP system requirements are a 233 MHz processor, 64 MB RAM, Super VGA (800x600) or higher resolution at least 1.5GB of hard drive disk space. It must have a CD-ROM drive or DVD drive, and a keyboard and a Microsoft Mouse or compatible pointing device. Windows XP has been criticized for its susceptibility to malware, computer viruses, trojan horses, and computer worms. Windows XP had many new features including faster start-up and hibernation sequences and fast user switching, which allows a user to save the current state and open applications of their desktop and allow another user to log on without losing that information.
Windows Vista system requirements are an 800 MHz processor, 512 MB of memory. It must have DirectX 9.0 capable, 32 MB of graphics memory, 20 GB of HDD capacity and 15 GB HDD of free space. It also needs a DVD-ROM. Some criticisms of Windows Vista are hardware requirements and Vista’s pricing. The marketing campaign for Windows Vista was built partly around the idea of novelty, the idea being that the public would be impressed by Aero and/or other accessibility improvements.
Windows 7 system requirements are a 1 GHz 32-bit processor, 1 GB of RAM, DirectX 9 graphics processor with WDDM driver model 1.0. It must also have 16 GB of free disk space and a DVD drive. Windows 7 received extremely positive reviews when it was released. The different editions of Windows 7 have been designed and marketed toward people with different needs.