Flashy new OS features could drain laptop batteries faster than XP, hardware vendors and analysts say.
Notebook PC users who upgrade to Microsoft's Windows Vista may have to disable some of the new operating system's flashy graphics features to avoid seeing a decrease in battery life compared to when running Windows XP.
The drop will come from the extra power needed to run the high-end processors, graphics cards, and memory capacity required to support Vista. Microsoft has designed the new OS to deliver novel visual effects such as the translucent "Aero" windows on the desktop interface and to offer improved performance as a digital media hub. The business version of the OS was released last month, with the consumer version due out next month.
More Power at a Price
PC and hardware vendors see Windows Vista as a windfall because it requires faster, more powerful computers. But the extra power comes at a price.