The first beta of Microsoft's Windows Vista clearly shows where the operating system is headed. Rather than a dramatic departure from Windows XP, Vista seems to refine the OS with sharper graphics and improved search and security. The new interface and other changes are definitely for the better, but some aspects of Vista--including its Virtual Folders--are a bit puzzling.

Described by company executives as "a plumbing release" containing only about half the features users will receive in the shipping version (still said to be on track for rollout in late 2006), Build 5112, aka Beta 1, was released on July 27 to 10,000 technical testers, with an additional half million IT pros and developers gaining access to the code (if not to tech support) via their respective Microsoft support groups.