Windows Vista, Office 2007, and Exchange Server 2007 Schedule
Update for all Rice Faculty, Staff, and Students
February 27, 2007
Vista?
Most computer vendors currently offer Windows machines with either Windows XP or Windows Vista. Customers are asked to select one of the two operating systems prior to their purchase. Please look at the following table to see whether many of Rice's most popular software applications are compatible with Vista.
| Software title | Vista compatible? | Details |
|---|---|---|
| Autocad 2007 | Yes | with Service Pack (see AutoCAD 2007 Service Pack 2) |
| LabView 8.2 | No | Expected to be supported during Summer 2007 |
| Mathematica 6.0 | Yes | More Information on Methematica Platform Availability |
| MATLAB 7.0 | Yes | may require admin privileges set (see Mathworks Technical Solutions) |
| SAS | Yes | beginning with SAS 9.2 (see SAS Technical Support) |
| Scientific Workplace 5.5 | Yes | with small installation workaround (see MacKichan Software) | SPSS 15 (Windows) | Yes | with Hotfix (see SPSS Page for details and also our wiki) |
What do I order?
The Office of the Vice Provost for Information Technology (IT) recommends your new computer purchases include a Vista license. However, if you will be using any software applications that do not have Vista-compatible versions, install Windows XP on the new machine. The Help Desk can assist with this installation; submit a request online at http://help.rice.edu prior to the purchase of a new machine if you would like assistance.
IT is working with the vendors of the most commonly used applications and we will soon have a posting available with the expected times at which they will be releasing Vista compatible versions of our products.
Vista and the Microsoft Campus Agreement for Rice
For departments enrolled in the Rice University Microsoft Campus Agreement, new Windows computers should be purchased with Windows XP. The campus agreement includes an upgrade to Vista or other future OS releases. IT will announce a date in the future when Vista upgrades can be installed.
Microsoft Office 2007
If you purchase and install the new Microsoft Office 2007, remember your peers will not be able to read your files unless they also used Office 2007. You can share files only if you save your new or revised documents in the "Office 1997-2003" compatible format.
Training for Office 2007 tools
Short courses for using Word, Excel and other Office 2007 tools will be available in the Fall of 2007.
Previous Announcement
January 8, 2007
Microsoft is releasing Vista, a new operating system, in late January 2007. In addition to Vista (designed to replace Windows XP operating systems), Microsoft is also releasing Office 2007 and Exchange Server 2007.
IT staff members have been testing Vista for the past few weeks. In addition a Microsoft representative led a training session for IT consultants at Rice. The IT support staff members are excited about the many new features available in these products.
However, many of the applications currently in use at Rice—such as Oracle calendar and Anti-virus products—are not yet available in versions that are compatible with Vista. IT continues to work with each of the vendors to determine release dates for Vista-compatible versions of Rice software applications.
In addition, current Rice computers may not be able to run Vista because Vista requires a more robust configuration than Windows XP requires. At a minimum, Vista can run on computers with:
- A modern processor, at least 800MHz
- 512 MB of system memory, but IT recommends 1GB
- A graphics processor that is DirectX 9 capable (check your vendor's web site)
- A DVD readable drive
Additional details can be found on the Technology Marketplace Hardware Recommendations web page for Windows computers.
If you are considering the purchase of a new computer or upgrading an existing computer, IT recommends you plan for a Vista-capable or Vista-ready machine, but do not yet install Vista.
Important upgrade information
Before upgrading your current computer, make sure it can handle the Vista requirements with this simple diagnosis tool from Microsoft: http://www.microsoft.com/windowsvista/getready/upgradeadvisor/default.mspx
If your machine is capable of supporting a Vista upgrade, you should still make sure that all your important software applications are available in Vista-compatible releases and that you can acquire these versions for your computer.
IT encourages Rice employees and students to continue utilizing Windows XP and Office 2004 or other pre-2007 releases until all the previously identified issues have been resolved.
Additional Vista, Office 2007 and Exchange Server 2007 Information
- Microsoft Windows Vista Product Guide
- Microsoft Windows Vista Hardware Guidance
- Pros and cons of the applications:
IT has not yet tested the Office 2007 or Exchange 2007 applications, but we anticipate publishing additional information on these products after winter recess.