DeKALB | A new window of opportunity opened for PC users Tuesday.

Windows Vista is the newest operating system from Microsoft and is now available for retail users. Vista features enhanced graphical features, as well as new ways to sort music, movies, documents or any other files on a computer, in addition to many other new features.

At first glance, the new Windows Vista reveals a much-enhanced graphical appearance from other Windows operating systems, said computer science chair Raimund Ege

“Overall, it’s a big improvement over Windows XP,” Ege said. “It’s close to Mac OS X.”

NIU does not yet support Windows Vista because it’s so new.

“It needs a modern computer that has a good video capability, a fast processor, and lots of memory,” Ege said, “One thing that did not work was to connect to the Novell ID. [Students] cannot use it to do things at NIU, you can only use it to go to places outside of NIU.”

Microsoft says Windows Vista can play games that offer more realistic graphics and complex environments, and characters with DirectX 10 technology. The new “Games Explorer” and “Game Folder” could make it easier to find and access games. Xbox 360 owners can also use their controllers with a Vista PC.

Some gamers, however, are not excited about the system.

“It slows the computers down, mainly graphics, 20 percent,” said Abe Rednour, co-owner of Heaven and Earth Interactive Gaming, 901 Lucinda Ave.

Instead of the new operating system, the owners of Heaven and Earth use Windows XP Media Edition.

“There’s something called lag. It’s how fast it can get to the server and back to your computer,” Rednour said. “I’m not sure if all the games are compatible with Windows Vista, and I don’t want to find out.”