The default installation of Windows Vista
weighs in at approximately 8 GB. In fact, Microsoft's latest operating
system won't even install with less than 15 GB of space available on the
hard drive. This is valid for both the low-end and the high-end editions
of the platform. A full Vista installation will take up no less than 40
times more hard disk space compared to Windows 95's 200 MB and five
times more than Windows XP's 1.5 GB. Part of the reason why Vista hugs
so much hard disk real estate space is the fact that the operating
system brings to the table a plethora of built-in administrative tools
that ship by default with the platform.
In this context, the term hidden, is not entirely accurate. Advanced
users and system administrators have no problems tracking down and using
the administrative tools in Vista. But at the same time, an average user
could pass right by them, just because of their low footprint in the
operating system's fabric, as they simply have a way to go by virtually
undocumented and unnoticed. But this does not mean that the tools are
not there, it just requires a bit of digging under the surface. And you
will be surprised of how many long-time Windows users have failed to
take a deeper look under the hood of the operating system, even if it
would make their life so much easier.
