Vista is finally getting out of the market in April 2018, 12 years after its introduction. Windows Vista was made to replace Windows XP, and we have come full circle as both XP and Vista are retired, with Windows 7,8 and 10 ruling the space.
To be honest Vista was never a great success and many of the younger newer Web users may not even have heard of it.
This is the nature of the operating system business, as Windows has kept introducing new versions and editions of its OS, always adding more sophistication, security and features. In this fast evolving context the older editions are retired, but they were helpful in shaping what runs our Windows platforms today.
The few people who are still using Windows Vista will have to change OS! Microsoft has announced that it will no longer release an update or patch for this release. General support for Vista was discontinued in April 2012 but Microsoft was still offering extensive support, including security updates. The disappearance of these updates will make the system at the mercy of computer attacks, since security vulnerabilities will not be corrected in the future.
Windows Vista was launched in January 2007 to succeed Windows XP, a popular version of windows liked by users. It included a new version of the NT kernel, new search tools, better malware protection, and a new graphical interface called Aero. But the OS experienced many development difficulties and ultimately proved very disappointing. In particular, it suffered from a lot of heaviness with among other things, a significant consumption of RAM and excessive use of the hard disk.
Its detractors also deplored the User Account Control. Supposed to improve the security of the system, it issued untimely requests for binding authorization. Still, Vista sales were good, with the PC market up, while the OS became installed de facto on all PCs. But it has never convinced a majority of Windows XP users, who have for many preferred to keep their old system rather than switch to this heavy and impractical software.
It was necessary to wait for the release of Windows 7, in October 2009, for the confidence between Microsoft and its users be re-established again. As microsoft opted to avoid recycling rubbish, they created a completely different architecture after Vista, starting with Windows 7 and later Windows 10. As of Feb 2020, users are very happy with the latest version of Windows 10, very stable and not too slow assuming your device has sufficient RAM.
As the increasing amount of waste produced each year weighs heavily on ecosystems around the world, the collection infrastructure adds new environmental problems: garbage trucks travel long distances along their routine roads, clogging up the streets, depleting resources and polluting the air.
New technologies can provide a number of ways to make waste collection more efficient. The sensors in the waste containers can signal that they are full, which reduces unnecessary collections and optimizes collecting routes. Waste containers equipped with narrow-band sensors capable of transmitting signals through walls and concrete are currently in the testing phase. Other smart waste containers are also equipped with compactors powered by solar energy, increasing the time required to reach their maximum capacity and emptying.
At the same time, advances in autonomous driving could soon allow the use of driverless garbage collection trucks, capable of safely navigating independently in urban areas, adjusting routes based on data in real-time and reducing fuel consumption and emissions by optimizing shifting, steering and speed.
Waste sorting systems are widely available in developed countries, but human error makes recycling a complex and costly task for any waste treatment company. A large amount of non-recyclable materials, from food waste in containers to types of non-recyclable plastic, ends up in the recycling system. Contaminated recyclable materials can then end up with the rest of our waste, and the materials cannot be recovered for sale in order to offset the cost of recycling programs.
Robots trained by artificial intelligence (AI) and sorting waste could be a solution. According to waste management experts at Houston dumpster rental, the waste situation is getting so much out of hand that a real solution needs to be found fast. With no end to the growth of waste while landfill capacity is decreasing, and it is time to end this pollution and environmental risk.
A system that sees objects in a waste stream, identifies them using AI and separates targeted objects with robotic components is being developed. The technology can also remove residue from contaminated items, much faster than humans. Systems like these can help recover resources for reuse, which alleviates the impact on the environment.
