Microsoft let software developers and other techies download Vista on May 23, 2006, and the general public can download it from
Microsoft's Web site. Although the download is no charge, don't think you're upgrading your PC for free: Vista still squirms with bugs, and Microsoft built-in a kill-switch that kicks in after several months.
Getting a sneak peek at Vista may sound fun, but it's quite a demanding piece of software. Here's what you need to run Vista on your PC:
Broadband Internet Connection. You must download a gargantuan 3GB file. That rules out dial-up connections.
DVD burner and software. Vista won't fit onto a CD. Your PC needs both a DVD burner and DVD burning software. (That software must know how to handle an ISO file -- a way of squeezing a DVD's contents into one file.)
An empty partition. Vista requires a special spot on your PC's hard drive known as a partition. If you're like most people, Windows XP already lives on your hard drive's only partition. That means you must either delete Windows XP and all your files or install Vista on a second hard drive.
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