Aero - a waste of resources?

[noetus]

For anyone interested in the question whether the new Aero (or Aero Glass) interface is actually worth its salt in user resources (not to mention MS development resources and therefore hard-earned cash when you pay for Vista) I suggest the following experiment. Make sure you have at least one application installed that automatically turns off Aero when it is running (and turns it on again when it is shut down). Many applications do this because they are only partially compatible with Vista - Britannica 2007 is an example, but there are many others. Make sure this is an application which you will habitually use from time to time, but which will not always be running -best if you know it will only occasionally be running. Use your computer over the period of a week or a month, as usual, and make a note of every time you notice that Aero is not running. Tally your results at the end of the experiment. I bet you my old sock that most of the time when Aero was switched off by the OS you didn't notice a [censored] thing (barring the occasions when the momentary flashing of the entire Windows desktop while Vista switches Aero on or off alerts you). I have to say, for someone who likes Aero, I have been unwittingly performing this experiment for over a month now and hardly ever notice. Proof, if proof were needed, that despite my "liking" of Aero, the visuals don't actually matter a whole hell of a lot (to me).

[WilsonF]

Check out the Tom's Hardware review of Vista. That site says Aero doesn't measurably decrease battery life.

[jtheun]

I agree with noetus. I like Aero, but found that, sometines when I forget to exit an application that disables it, I don't really notice it *that* much. Except for when I alt-tab through the apps, when I miss the little previews.

[zverg]

Check out the Tom's Hardware review of Vista. That site says Aero doesn't measurably decrease battery life.

good to hear!