Vista Office will be receiving a complete redesign and makeover in the next week or two. Apart from upgrading to Wordpress 2.1 — the latest version — it will receive a brand new designer styling (pictured) by Thord Hedengen.

As this site is affiliated to our 21st-Century Phi network magazine, the colours will be blue based but similar in styling to the example shown above.

There may be some disruption to service while this work is carried out, and fresh posts will be delayed for a few days.

Authorized Niveus dealers get early access to Windows Vista. Just one of those interesting press releases I found today.

Milpitas, CA – November 21, 2006 – Niveus Media, an award-winning designer and manufacturer of digital entertainment media centers, has announced the launch of Get Ready. A Windows Vista Early Adopter program intended to provide Niveus’ Authorized Dealers with the knowledge needed to install and support Windows Vista, prior to its scheduled January 30, 2007 launch date, Niveus’ program also provides dealers the opportunity to showcase Vista’s increased functionality within media center solutions.

“We’re very excited to be offering our valued dealer network the ability to familiarize themselves, as well as their customers, with Windows Vista today; without waiting until general availability in January 2007” said Brian Paper, VP of Marketing and co-Founder of Niveus Media. “Our dealers are selling products today that will be installed months from now. This program not only allows them to gain technical expertise and installation experience with Vista but also allows them to demonstrate this next generation platform in their showrooms.”

There you have it. The most anticipated OS of the new century. You’ll need to spend big bucks now that your old graphics cards wont’t support the new sexy Aero interface…My advice ? Take it easy and only buy Vista after 1 year. By that time, MS will have sorted out the kinks and bugs.

As Windows Vista has been released to manufacturing (RTM) yesterday — a significant milestone for Microsoft and its partners — anticipation is building around that all-important question: How good is it really? Microsoft says Windows Vista is its most heavily tested operating system ever, with deep investments made to ensure greater security, reliability and usability. But after all the time, expense and effort to get it right, does Windows Vista meet the quality bar?

With the year coming to an end, Microsoft will have a big bang of launching the business debut of Windows Vista and Office 2007 at a November 30 event in New York City.

“This event will mark the business availability of three major releases from Microsoft,” the software maker said in an invitation e-mailed to the press yesterday. The announcement makes good on Redmond’s promise of delivering Vista in 2006 — in a manner of speaking.

The Windows lovers won’t get its hands on the new OS until early 2007 — March 15 at the latest, according to the Express Upgrade to Windows Vista and Microsoft Office Technology Guarantee program. See what Vista coupons will get you.