Spend less time finding files

With all you have to do in the day, taking extra time to look for documents on your computer is probably something you'd rather not do. One of the most helpful features in Windows Vista is the way search is integrated throughout the operating system.

Instant Search is a new tool in Windows Vista that lets you type a file name, a keyword, or even text contained within a file, and get organized results fast. Instant Search tailors results based on your current activity, whether it's searching for programs in the Control Panel, for music files in Windows Media Player, for an e-mail message in your e-mail program, or searching all of your files and applications in the Start menu.

You can access Instant Search just about anywhere in Windows Vista—including right in the Start menu. To find a specific file, e-mail message, contact, event, application, or Internet Favorite, simply open the Start menu and begin typing in the Instant Search field. As you type, Windows Vista finds and displays matching items, whether they are applications, Internet Favorites, documents, media, contacts, calendar events, or e-mail messages. Now you can find practically anything on your PC with as-fast-as-you-can-type performance.

Manage your life

Windows Vista includes a built-in calendar to help you manage your schedule and even those of your family members. Windows Calendar helps you manage your time by adding events to your schedule. With alerts, you can be reminded when an event is about to occur. You can even track a number of tasks, so you never forget something on your to-do list. Everyone in your family can create their own calendars, and you can share them amongst the family so they can all be seen at once—this way it's easy to track everyone's schedules and to find time that's free for the whole family.

See the sites in a whole new way.

Internet Explorer 7 also provides new tools to give you direct access to information you want, with built-in support for web feeds known as Really Simple Syndication (RSS). RSS is a technology you can use to have information sent to you, so you don't have to look for it. Through RSS subscriptions, you can automatically receive feeds (lists) of headlines from Internet sites. Internet Explorer 7 discovers these feeds on sites and allows you to preview and subscribe to them. Once you subscribe, Internet Explorer 7 systematically consolidates headlines from each feed into one list. This lets you quickly browse new information from various sites without having to visit each site separately.