Paolo, that's a good question. To date, Microsoft hasn't offered much advice on what the minimum hardware requirements will be for Vista, which is scheduled for release in late 2006. But based on what we've seen in early builds of the OS, we can give you some rough guidance on how to future-proof your laptop for Vista.

First, if you want the new Aero glass effect for translucent windows and icons, you'll need a discrete graphics card with at least 128MB VRAM and support for DirectX 9. You'll also need at least 512MB (or, even better, 1GB) of RAM, and a fast (5,400rpm or 7,200rpm) hard drive will keep your system from dragging. While Microsoft claims that any "midrange or better" processor (which, right now, would be a 1.6GHz or higher Pentium M or Turion 64) will be able to handle Vista, your best future-proof option is a 64-bit processor, such as the AMD Turion 64. In our Labs, we've been running Windows Vista Beta on the Turion-based Acer Ferrari 4000, and it seems pretty stable.

As the OS release date draws closer, we'll be able to report hardware requirements with more certainty; keep an eye on our preview of Windows Vista and the CNET Windows Resource Center for updates.