The Microsoft Windows Vista website added a "The Facts" page:

When choosing a new operating system, the first thing many people ask is, "What will it help me do?" In answer, much of this site shows you the great experiences Windows Vista helps you have. The second thing many people say is, "Prove that it's better." In particular, many of you have asked about performance and safety improvements. The following information provides specific proof that Windows Vista is faster and safer.

People are waiting less

The majority of Windows Vista-based PCs boot in less than a minute¹, which can be an improvement over Windows XP boot times. And the new Windows Vista sleep and resume features can bring your PC to life in a snap—in fact, the vast majority of all Windows Vista-based PCs resume from sleep in less than 6 seconds.²

Who doesn't wish their PC was just a little faster? Windows ReadyBoost is a terrific new innovation in Windows Vista that lets you speed up your system in seconds—without opening the cover or adding software. Just plug a USB flash drive into your computer, and Windows Vista will automatically start using it to speed up memory access to important data³. PCs running Windows Vista that are equipped with 512 MB memory experience a performance boost of up to 40 percent⁴. Speed it up! Only on Windows Vista.

Plugging in memory is a cool way to add speed, but it's not the only way Windows Vista is faster. Out of the box, Windows Vista performs as well, or better, than Windows XP on common home and business tasks⁵. Windows Vista users generally experience 20 percent fewer application "hangs" than those running Windows XP⁶. And Superfetch, an ingenious new Windows Vista technology, helps your computer adjust to your schedule, so your apps are ready to go before you even launch them. Use Microsoft Outlook every morning? Superfetch will serve it up just in time for breakfast. Play the same game every night? Superfetch gets your computer ready for the next big win. Waiting less means you can do more. Only on Windows Vista.

People are more confident about their PC's safety

One aspect of security can be measured in terms of vulnerabilities, or, in a nutshell, how many "holes" an operating system has. Based on their first 180 days of availability, Windows Vista has been shown to have fewer vulnerabilities than Windows XP or MacOS X 10.4⁷.

In fact, Windows Vista security has improved so much that PCs running it are 60 percent less likely to be infected with viruses, worms, and rootkits than PCs running Windows XP SP2. And Windows Vista-based PCs are over 90 percent less likely to be infected than systems running Windows XP without a Service Pack⁸. And the experts agree: "[Windows] Vista is arguably the most secure closed-source OS available on the market."⁹

Also, many websites place programs on your computer without your knowledge or permission. This "spyware" often runs quietly in the background, scanning your computer, recording your keystrokes, and sending the data to someone you may not know. With Windows Vista, you can be more confident that your PC is doing just want you want it to do, and nothing that you don't.

Windows Defender automatically scans Internet Explorer 7 downloads¹⁰ to help bring spyware to your attention before it can infect your computer. And thanks to SpyNet, an online community of millions of users around the world that constantly reports new spyware back to Microsoft, Windows Defender can even help to cure your PC even after it's been infected. The facts are impressive! Windows Vista-based PCs are almost three times less likely to be infected with potentially unwanted software than Windows XP-based PCs.¹¹

People are safer online

Today's most dangerous online threats are based on social engineering, a practice of tricking you into trusting a fake website that you shouldn't. These are called phishing attacks. Luckily, Windows Vista was built from the ground up to protect you from phishing, and Internet Explorer 7¹² is now blocking nearly 1 million attempts to access these fake sites per week¹³. Here's some more data: New phishing attacks are more than 25 times as common as new viruses¹⁴. That's right, over 20,000 of these fake websites are created every month¹⁵, and web surfers lost over $3.2 billion to them in 2007¹⁶. Good reasons to get Windows Vista with Internet Explorer 7.

People are convinced

It's a fact. The more people use Windows Vista, the more they like it. So dig in and learn even more about the new features in Windows Vista. Once you've tried it, you'll see¹⁷.

So there are the facts. Ready to see the cool things you can do? Start here.

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