Wouldn't it be great if the tools you used to keep up with your life could also keep up with you? Windows Vista stands apart here. In a lot of little ways, and a few large ones, it helps simplify your day.

Top three things you can do:

• Find and use things on your PC

• Find and use things online

• Keep everything, everywhere, synchronized

Simplify essentials

Take finding things. Before Windows Vista, you could store a lot of photos, files, and software on your PC, the trouble was finding them again. No longer. With Instant Search in Windows Vista you can type a few letters and find virtually anything on your computer. Simply open the Start menu and begin typing in the Start Search field. You'll get organized results showing files, applications, calendar events, contacts, and Internet Explorer favorites. Plus, you'll find search boxes wherever you
go, so if you're in the Control Panel, for example, you can search just Control Panel applications.

Instantly find what you need.

See it first. With the preview panel in Windows Explorer, you can see the document or file before you even open it—one of the many ways you'll need fewer clicks to do what you want.

Have more confidence. With tools like Windows Defender and Windows Security Center, your PC is better equipped to fend off malware and other online threats. It'll also keep an eye on its own performance and tune itself to keep humming along without fuss on your part.

Get more from the web with Internet Explorer

If you're like most people, you use the Internet a lot. Take a look at Internet Explorer 8, the newest version of the popular web browser. It includes several new features that simplify the stuff you do all the time. Web slices give you a fast, simple way to keep up with the specific information you care about on a website. Accelerators help you do common tasks right within a web page. And with InPrivate browsing, you can surf without leaving a trace.

Common accelerator showing driving directions.

Go further for free with Windows Live

With one easy download you'll get Windows Live Photo Gallery, Mail, Messenger, Movie Maker, and more. This means there's one place to go online to IM, e-mail, share photos and files you create, and stay connected with the people and things that matter to you.

Do more with Windows Mobile

Reality is, we're all on-the-go a lot. The good news? A Windows Mobile phone can help you do a lot of PC-type things while you’re on the go. With Bing installed on your Windows Mobile phone, you're set to get essential, on-the-spot information—like interactive maps, current traffic information, nearby gas prices, and movie times—right when you need it.