this page is a comparison of windows vista and windows xp .

windows xp and windows vista differ considerably in regards to their security architecture , networking technologies , management and administration , shell and user interface , and mobile computing .

windows xp has suffered criticism for security problems and issues with performance .

vista has received criticism for issues with performance and product activation .

another common criticism of vista concerns the integration of new forms of drm into the operating system , and user account control ( uac ) security technology .

windows xp vs vista , 7 , 8 . 1 , and 10 | speed comparison
for more details , visit microsoft ' s sql server 2016 comparison of editions including enterprise vs . express
like most things there are good and bad points about both xp and vista .
the windows 10 compatibility tester cannot run on windows xp or vista but a substitute is available .
still holding onto a computer running windows xp or windows vista ? it may be time to upgrade to windows 10 .
many of the deployment technologies that are used in windows xp and windows server 2003 have changed for windows vista . the following sections provide a brief description of how previous tools and procedures correspond to the windows vista deployment toolset .
the fundamental difference : windows xp is windows xp and windows server 2003 is windows server 2003 ! do not underestimate this difference : some windows xp programs which check for windows version may refuse to run on windows server 2003 . in addition , some programs which are designed for windows server 2003 may refuse to run on windows xp .
in fact open services . msc in windows xp and in vista + and look and feel that columns on win xp without dwm – drags more smoothly without any lags .
windows xp is not supported by microsoft anymore , so you should buy vista ( or maybe windows 7 or 8 ) .
i use xp pro on one drive with office xp and vista with office 2007 on the other so i dont need 7 to get speed or compatability as xp performs around the same .
does vista have what it takes to knock xp off the enterprise desktop ? not by our scorecard . point by point and blow by blow , we offer 10 reasons enterprises can skip windows vista and stick with xp
the following sections describe some of the new features introduced in windows firewall with advanced security in windows vista and windows server 2008 .
avast antivirus is compatible with windows 10 , 8 . 1 , 8 , 7 , vista , xp sp3
according to microsoft , security of windows vista is much improved than xp . as part of this , a new feature called uac ( user account control ) is included in vista .
so which is best - windows xp , vista or windows 7 ? read on to find out what we ' ve uncovered .
on windows xp , the lua mode shims often do not work . ( file and registry virtualization in windows vista is a complete rewrite and will have much higher compatibility marks than act lua modes in windows xp . )
windows xp totaled 45 million lines of code , the work of hundreds of microsoft programmers . it will be missed .
windows xp service pack 3 april 23 , 2008 — digidesign has officially qualified windows xp service pack 3 with all products listed as qualified with windows xp service pack 2 , including systems with avid video . there are currently no known compatibility differences between systems with xp sp2 or sp3 . all compatibility information regarding windows xp service pack 2 also applies to systems with windows xp service pack 3 .
windows vista ' s infection rate was considerably lower than that for xp but still turned out to be double that for windows 7 .
there is simply no way to upgrade from windows xp and keep your files , settings and programs . it isn ' t a limitation of windows 10 but a built - in limitation of xp .
windows 7 is four to five times less vulnerable to malware infections than is windows xp .
there are two main types of windows users in the world . which kind are you : windows xp or windows vista ? the recent news that testers at devil mountain software found microsoft ' s beta of windows xp service pack 3 to be 10 % faster than xp sp2 has pushed me over the edge .
lancemoho .
the difference between windows xp and vista .
differencebetween . net . july 27 , 2011 < urltoken > .
pro tools 7 . 4 and higher for windows xp and windows vista do not support fat32 for recording , but will continue to support fat32 formatted volumes for playback and transfer .
. there are plenty of happy people with computers that
just work
running windows xp or windows vista . microsoft , however , no longer issues security updates and patches for windows xp . this means that your pc is more vulnerable to malware . windows vista will no longer be receiving these patches in april of 2017 .
sysprep has changed significantly for windows vista . more information about how sysprep works in windows vista is available in the sysprep technical reference .
moving from xp to windows 10 could set you back upwards of £200 per pc ( windows 10 pro ) .
the author ' s father , bob hachman , and the family’s windows xp pc .
windows setup has changed significantly in windows vista . the following list describes some of the more important changes .
windows 10 to be free upgrade for windows 8 . 1 and windows 7 users
the following table maps the previous windows answer files to the new windows vista configuration passes .
arguably one of the best windows versions , windows xp was released in october 2001 and brought microsoft’s enterprise line and consumer line of operating systems under one roof .
windows pe 2 . 0 is an updated version of windows pe that is based on the windows vista kernel . like previous releases , windows pe 2 . 0 provides a platform for booting raw hardware . in previous releases of windows , windows pe had limited availability . for windows vista , windows pe customization tools are available in both the windows aik and windows opk .
according to the microsoft knowledge base article , compatibility mode is a feature of windows that allows you to run programs written for earlier versions of windows such as windows xp or windows 2000 . many programs created for windows xp may work in windows vista and above ; however , there are some that may run incorrectly , if at all .
but windows vista changed all that . despite many years of availability , vista ' s poor reception means that computer manufacturers are still selling new systems with xp . it ' s also common for laptops to be downgraded from vista to xp , with battery life reportedly improving as a result .
i think you mean :
that’s stellar news for those of us who don’t have to support anything other than windows xp , 2003 and vista
.
please note that the themes are only compatible with windows xp and not newer versions of the microsoft windows operating system . you can ' t install them on vista , windows 7 or windows 8 , or the server variants .
we want vista look , not vista problems , lol . ( and it looks like they are going to kill windows7 like they did vista : ( )
while you can install the couple of official themes that microsoft released for the system , the number of available options pales in comparison what third party designers have created for the operating system .
the enterprise twin of me , windows 2000 was released in february 2000 and was based on microsoft’s business - orientated system windows nt and later became the basis for windows xp .
until they build something better than windows xp , i see no reason to switch . as it is packaged today , windows vista is not that os .
it was faster , more stable and easier to use , becoming the operating system most users and business would upgrade to from windows xp , forgoing vista entirely .
some people have become so comfortable working with windows xp that they have avoided upgrading to microsoft’s newest operating system . the windows vista fiasco didn’t help matters , forcing some diehard fans of xp to downgrade to make their pcs functional again .
windows xp isn ' t eligible for a free update to windows 10 . that is more of a concern for home - rather than business users of windows , but if you are running a windows xp shop and looking to upgrade , there will be a cost attached .
the following diagram illustrates how configuration passes in windows vista map to the different answer files used in previous versions of windows .
windows xp is still loved by many people and runs on millions of pcs and laptops . but it has many , many drawbacks .
xp has proved to be more popular than its younger sibling , with the first six months of u . s . retail sales of box copies of vista 59 . 7 percent below those of xp ' s in the equivalent period after its release .
windows media player 11 : windows server 2003 sp2 is equipped with windows media player 10 . however , windows media player 11 cannot be installed on windows server 2003 . note that windows xp x64 edition is in fact an edition of windows server 2003 and therefore windows media player 11 cannot be installed on it . [ update : recently , microsoft has released a version of windows media player 11 for windows xp x64 edition . )
but as capable as windows xp is , it is inherently less secure than windows 7 . xp was designed before many of the attack techniques used today even existed . a review of the microsoft security bulletins from 2010 reveals that windows xp and windows 7 may have many of the same vulnerabilities , but that a vulnerability that is rated only moderate or important on windows 7 is often a critical flaw for windows xp because windows 7 is more secure by design and can contain a successful exploit with less impact .
realize that vista is new so there are still things to be fixed , just like when xp came out .
for the latter two i resort to running xp in a vm under vista . i can live with it .
but technical underpinnings aside , what windows xp did was introduce a new generation of pc users to the web . what many forget was that the first windows xp hardware launched just two weeks after the horrific events of sept . 11 , 2001 . the staggered launch—hardware first , then retail software sales—made the later release of windows vista seem stronger by comparison . and the richer , visual aesthetic came under fire , too , rubin noted . but over time , users began to love their new os .
new tests have revealed that windows xp with the beta service pack 3 has twice the performance of vista , even with its long - awaited service pack 1 .
memory usage : unlike windows xp , windows server 2003 allocates more memory to system cache than to running programs .
the boot time test provided no surprises – vista took the longest time to get started , xp came in second place and windows 7 was the fastest .
internet explorer 8 avid is aware of an incompatibility between pro tools and internet explorer 8 on either windows xp or windows vista . for more information ( including known solutions ) please see the following page :
previously , microsoft had placed its enterprise operating systems and its consumer oses onto separate tracks . windows xp fused windows 2000 with some of the best bits of windows 98 and the short - lived windows me . it was also the end of microsoft’s line of ms - dos based operating systems , which gates proclaimed as the “end of an era” during xp’s launch .
it is not as secure as windows vista ( though this is disputed ) .
windows xp is just a phenomenal operating system ; and in terms of features and functionality , many businesses can’t justify the expense or hassle of making the switch .
windows xp’s funeral , a private ceremony held deep within microsoft , was quiet . in lieu of flowers , microsoft urged customers to donate to windows 8 , one of windows xp’s grandchildren . office 2003 also quietly passed away , to less fanfare .
if you are purchasing a new windows computer and need to use pro tools le or m - powered 7 . 3 . 1 or earlier , check to see if the manufacturer offers the option to configure with windows xp home or windows xp professional preinstalled . if that is not an option , you will need to install windows xp on a separate drive or partition to create a dual boot system that can startup with either windows xp or vista .
* only vista 32 bit is supported , 64bit is not supported , windows vista home and home premium edition are not tested . windows xp 64bit not supported for any pro tools version . * * pro tools 11 and higher only support 64 - bit os
package manager is new for windows vista . package manager is the tool that is used to apply updates , language packs , and other updates that are provided by microsoft . previous versions of windows used update . exe . an update installer was made available for each windows update . for windows vista , there is now a native installer that is used for windows . this installer is part of the windows vista servicing stack . updates for windows vista are delivered as files and resources only .
sysprep for windows vista is independent of the hardware abstraction layer ( hal ) . you can create a generalized x86 windows image and transfer that image to any x86 - based operating system . 32 - bit and 64 - bit versions of windows vista require separate images .
if you ' re still unsure which version is best for your purposes , study microsoft ' s comparison chart ( urltoken ) , or the even more detailed one at urltoken .
one of the critical differences between both , is the hardware requirements . to achieve the same level of performance as xp , vista requires more advanced or additional hardware .
package manager , the add or remove programs item in control panel , and windows update all use the windows vista servicing stack .
the windows oem preinstallation toolkit ( windows opk ) and the windows automated installation kit ( windows aik ) are the tools that are used to customize and to deploy windows .
round 5 : performance windows vista is a bloated pig of an operating system . in fact , compared to windows xp with service pack 2 or 3 , vista requires roughly twice the hardware resources to deliver comparable performance . even stripped to the bone , with every new ui enhancement turned off and every new background service disabled , vista is a good 40 percent slower than xp at a variety of business productivity tasks .
if you skipped over windows vista like so many others have , you may be in for a shock when you upgrade from windows xp to windows 7 . microsoft’s newest operating system is a major shift in usability , convenience , and overall computing from previous versions of windows .
windows vista gives you next to no protection . to get serious about security on windows vista , avast provides advanced features like intelligent antivirus , home network security , software updater and more .
windows firewall / internet connection sharing : this service , which regulates both windows firewall and internet connection sharing features , is , by default , disabled in windows server 2003 and enabled on windows xp . this service is excluded from certain editions of windows server 2003 .
windows image acquisition ( wia ) : wia allows scanners and digital cameras to interface with windows . windows server 2003 comes with windows image acquisition ( wia ) service disabled . on windows xp , this service is set to manual and will start as soon as an appropriate device is connected . installation of certain device drivers put this service into automatic mode , both in windows xp and windows server 2003 .
this proved true for our application tests as well . open a small excel spreadsheet or pdf file , say , and xp beats vista , but heavy - duty spreadsheets and pdf files opened faster under vista than xp . once again , however , both were trounced by the newcomer .
although windows vista home and home premium edition have not been tested or qualified by digidesign , there are currently no known issues with vista home and home premium 32 - bit operating systems with pro tools compared to the supported windows vista business or ultimate edition operating systems .
windows media player 11 and ie 7 debuted , along with windows defender an anti - spyware programme . vista also included speech recognition , windows dvd maker and photo gallery , as well as being the first windows to be distributed on dvd . later a version of windows vista without windows media player was created in response to anti - trust investigations .
windows xp gave way to three more generations of microsoft software—windows vista , windows 7 , and windows 8—and microsoft has urged customers to adopt its more modern operating systems , which it says offer more security and a more modern look and feel . “honestly , ” microsoft’s urltoken web site read monday , “it’s time for a change . ”
av comparatives successfully tested avast on windows vista . another reason why more than 400 million users trust avast – it ' s windows vista ' s official consumer security software provider .
decision : from a security standpoint , there ' s just not a lot to compel xp shops to upgrade . many of the issues addressed by vista have already been resolved under windows xp using in - house applications or third - party tools .
the support experience has changed significantly for windows vista . the following list provides an overview of what has changed .
windows xp stayed the course for close to six years before being replaced by windows vista in january 2007 . vista updated the look and feel of windows with more focus on transparent elements , search and security . its development , under the codename “longhorn” , was troubled , with ambitious elements abandoned in order to get it into production .
the windows aik is for the corporate deployment of windows and contains the tools and the documentation that are required to configure and to install windows . previous versions of windows included the corporate deployment tools as part of deploy . cab . the windows aik contains the same set of tools that is included in the windows opk .
although not all are earth - shattering changes , listed below are the top 10 differences between windows xp and windows 7 . many of these changes may seem like a big deal because you’ve gotten so used to how things work in xp . if you are considering upgrading from xp to windows 7 , be prepared for these changes .
visual styles and themes : windows server 2003 uses classic visual styles by default and themes service is disabled . to apply the sleek look of windows xp visual styles in windows server 2003 , start themes service . in windows xp , themes service is set to automatic to ensure that is started at each startup .
microsoft has not done enough to make users aware of the benefits of vista , npd analyst chris swenson said at the conference .
the problem is that there are a lot of complex new features in vista , and you need to educate consumers about them . . . much like apple educating the masses about the possibilities of the iphone or focusing on a single feature or benefit of the mac os in the mac - versus - pc commercials . microsoft should be educating the masses about the various new features in a heavy rotation of vista in tv , radio , and print ads . but the volume of ads ( for vista ) has paled in comparison to the ads run for xp .
decision : if ever there were an opportunity to skip a windows upgrade cycle , the xp - to - vista transition is it . xp may be showing its age , but its age is mainly skin deep : the new challenger is flashy , but also slower and heavier , and it lacks a killer combination of compelling features needed to unseat xp .
most every longtime windows user knows the sad saga of the lowly start menu . born as a button in windows 95 , modified in xp and vista , and blossoming into its most usable form in windows 7 , the start menu anchored the windows ui until microsoft foolishly discarded it with windows 8 , sparking an entire cottage industry of third - party replacements . now two of the leading makers of start menu alternatives for windows 8 have released counterparts for windows 10 .
all apps on xp that don’t have the xp common control manifest look uglier than on windows n - 1 because they are using controls that don’t look right amongst the rest of the programs .
information about customizing help and support for windows vista can be found in a software development kit ( sdk ) , windows vista help authoring . chm , located on the windows opk dvd or on the windows aik dvd . for more information about customizing help and support , see help and support and walkthrough : customize help and support .
what about future versions ? there ' s no doubt that , eventually , microsoft may try to target vista exclusively . however , finding features and functions that vista supports and xp doesn ' t is not as easy as it sounds . remember , much of vista ' s
newness
is only skin deep . in fact , outside of directx 10 – which is exclusively a vista technology – there ' s no valid reason for excluding xp from the supported platforms list of any new application .
not to mention it is not even as fast as xp gdi performance because of gdi hardware accelerated functions in drivers being killed by vista ' s redesign of the display driver model .
the following sections describe some of the new features introduced in windows firewall with advanced security in windows 7 and windows server 2008 r2 .
well , here we are , just a few months away from the second anniversary of the launch of windows vista , and with a significant proportion of musicians still using xp or only now considering the move to vista . some early adopters rushed to upgrade from windows xp , only to run into problems with the lack of vista hardware drivers , while other windows users refused to take the plunge , largely because the majority of audio benchmarks demonstrated that xp still slightly out–performed vista when running audio software at low–latency settings . while some musicians remain determined to stick with xp for as long as possible , microsoft took windows xp off the market on june 30th this year , as i reported in pc notes july 2008 , and although it may still be available in some outlets this isn ' t likely to continue for long . many musicians are also buying mainstream pcs with vista pre–installed , or wanting to run it alongside their existing windows xp installation to see what all the fuss is about . so at some point it ' s likely we ' ll all get vista on our music pcs , one way or another .
under the hood , xp grouped multiple windows of the new internet explorer 6 and other applications together , and offered a task - based focus that facilitated common functions like cd burning . prefetching was added to speed up load times . windows xp added internet firewall and remote desktop functionality—and windows product activation , as well . windows xp persisted through three service packs , adding support for usb 2 . 0 as well as numerous additional improvements .
considered a low point in the windows series by many – at least , until they saw windows vista – windows millennium edition was the last windows to be based on ms - dos , and the last in the windows 9x line .
windows 10 – despite being the ninth version of windows – is designed to unify all windows platforms across multiple devices , including windows phone and tablets , with universal apps that can be downloaded from the windows store and run on all windows devices .
switched on : tired of lengthy boot times ? we bear good news . even the beta of windows 7 can beat vista ' s sluggish start
in previous versions of windows , help and support was an html - based application . for windows vista , help and support is xml - based . help and support now offers more flexibility for oems and corporate customers to add specific kinds of content .
decision : when ' s the last time you worried about driver support under windows xp ? with an installed base into the hundreds of millions , chances are you ' ll still be finding xp drivers long after vista ' s grandchildren are being put out to pasture .
the focus of windows server 2003 driver base is to support the devices which are attached to servers while the focus of windows xp driver base is to support the devices which are attached to workstations and home computers . therefore there is no guarantee that a device which windows xp natively supports is not alien to windows server 2003… or vice versa .
sketchup 2013 with the release of sketchup 2013 we reduced the level of support we can offer for windows xp and removed support for os x 10 . 6 ( snow leopard ) and earlier .
drilling down further , the 64 - bit versions of windows 7 and windows vista are less infection - prone than are their 32 - bit counterparts , which microsoft attributes to a couple of factors .
windows xp with sp3 came in with 15 . 9 infections per 1 , 000 , while xp with sp2 had the highest number at 19 . 3 . breaking down the numbers , microsoft ' s stats mean that windows 7 is around four to five times more secure than xp .
that’s stellar news for those of us who don’t have to support anything other than vista .
slow : windows , especially vista and 7 , requires a lot of computer resources ( memory , processor , disk space ) , and thus , runs slower .
( this is of course under the assumption that producing an emulator is out of question . given the system requirements for vista , i would think that if a program could run under xp’s minimal requirements , then even doing some sort of software emulation could be acceptable on a modern machine capable of running vista )
at first it seemed like our file transfer benchmarks would deliver the same results . vista produced poor copy speeds in our small file tests , xp again placed second and windows 7 came out on top . but when we tried transferring larger 1gb files , vista surprisingly just managed to win out over xp . both were beaten by the speedy windows 7 , though .
windows xp launched on august 24 , 2001 . “simply put , windows xp is the best operating system microsoft has ever built , ” bill gates , the chief software architect at microsoft , said at the time .
ease of use - in fairness windows 7 is so ubiquitous that windows 10 was never going to be more intuitive to use than its much loved forebear . that said windows 10 is more intuitive than windows 8 and much of that comes down to the return of the start menu . consequently windows 10 is a great blend of the advancements of windows 8 and the familiarity of windows 7 , but sight of windows 8 elements ( and there are many ) will still be too much for some .
except , for many , it isn’t . in march , for example , 27 . 7 percent of all desktop pcs tracked by netapplications ran windows xp . put another way , windows xp’s gaping vulnerability was that it was simply too good .
microsoft’s biggest change to the vista start menu came with built - in search . in vista you could simply hit the windows key and start typing for what you wanted to search for . the importance of the windows key or windows logo permeated throughout microsoft’s keyboards and mice , and a new
ultimate
keyboard shipped with the windows key in the center to quickly access search or the start menu . microsoft also removed the
start
branding from the vista start menu , and replaced it with a windows orb to further push the windows branding in vista .
$ oem $ is still supported in windows vista . for more information , see understanding distribution shares and configuration sets .
installing vista on a fresh hard drive is simple enough : choose the vista 32–bit or 64–bit dvd , boot up your pc from it , and follow the instructions . however , if you want to install vista on the same hard drive alongside an existing windows os ( the most likely being windows xp ) , you have to be a little more careful .
windows xp was the longest running microsoft operating system , seeing three major updates and support up until april 2014 – 13 years from its original release date . windows xp was still used on an estimated 430m pcs when it was discontinued .
windows 98 introduced the back and forward navigation buttons and the address bar in windows explorer , among other things . one of the biggest changes was the introduction of the windows driver model for computer components and accessories – one driver to support all future versions of windows .
while those are all valid issues , the fact remains that windows 7 is more secure . if both windows xp and windows 7 are affected by the same vulnerability , but the additional security controls contain the threat to a moderate level on windows 7 while critical on windows xp , it seems that microsoft is headed in the right direction .
no , windows 7 has the same requirements as windows vista , but performs better on the same hardware , utilizing the hardware better .
visual studio 2005 was a great tool that suffered from nagging performance issues in the ide and the general bugginess of the . net framework 2 . 0 . visual studio 2008 addresses most of these shortcomings while also allowing me to target both windows xp and vista with new wpf applications . and like virtually all of microsoft ' s developer software , it runs great on either os . if anything , visual studio 2008 runs a bit faster on windows xp , though windows server 2008 gives xp a run for its money in this regard .
the start menu is more advanced in vista compared to xp . with vista , you have a much broader range of search leverage . another significant change is in the ‘all programs’ area . xp can be somewhat of a problem to keep the programs organized when you have several whereas with the vista the programs are scrolled within the start menu making it much less confusing when you want to find a particular program .
windows 7 has been around for almost a year and a half , and it has emerged as a popular , successful os . it has more than doubled the market share of its predecessor , windows vista , yet is still less than half the market share of the nearly decade - old windows xp , according to netmarketshare . com .
to decide whether or not you want windows 10 home or pro , see the comparison chart in this wikipedia article comparing windows 10 editions . as far as home users are concerned , the only difference that is likely to matter is encryption [ efs , bitlocker ] as it is only available with windows 10 pro .
you can still have most of the aero experience and yet speed up and streamline the vista interface if you un–tick various visual effects .
the system requirements of windows really haven ' t changed since windows vista , and starting from a clean hard disk means there ' s no build - up of programs that start with windows , slowing it down and using up precious memory . plus windows 10 is very light on system resources .
processor scheduling : windows server 2003 is configured to spends more time on background services . in contrast , windows xp is configured to allocate most of cpu’s time on programs .
infection rates for windows 7 is about four to five times less than for windows xp , according to microsoft ' s latest security intelligence report .
speaking of common controls , i have one question . when i run apps under vista that already have a xp - style ui manifest , they don’t get the vista look . if i run them in xp sp2 compatibility mode , then they get the vista look . and later if i remove the compatibility mode check box , they retain their vista look . why is this ? same thing happens for apps that don’t have a manifest but when a manifest file is added .
a year after its launch , only 13 percent of businesses have adopted vista , according to a survey of it professionals .
i honestly find no advantage to windows vista , and there are some downsides . for example , no matter what vista advocates say , vista requires vista - level hardware . pentium m / centrino single - core notebook hardware just doesn ' t run it well . pentium 4 desktop hardware runs it better , but usually that class of hardware needs a video upgrade . i ' ve personally seen instabilities with the shipping version of the vista code : applications freezing , windows services slowing to a crawl , even os crashes . i ' m not saying everyone is having these problems , but i see no real improvement over windows xp . while the architecture of vista is a little better , vista adds a lot of overhead to support quite a bit of new and sometimes questionable functionality . vista is a lot more complex than windows xp . it ' s probably more secure , but it still needs a raft of third - party security software and hardware . i don ' t trust its anti - malware protection or its firewall . and it doesn ' t have an onboard antivirus product .
boot sector ( bootsect ) tool . use this tool to enable deployment to earlier versions of windows by changing the previous version of windows boot code to support the boot manager ( bootmgr ) for windows vista . this tool replaces fixfat and fixntfs .
windows xp and windows vista are not the same . how and why is this ? it is not just the date , or the new style of the toolbar . and this how - to will tell you , in popular opinion , which one is better , and points to consider about each one - - the good and the bad .
i think the requirememnts are the same for vista and windows 7 . when i installed it i found the requirements nearly the same . moved to xp in 2 days . couldnt understand the net settings .
it would seem that most individuals have become so accustomed and comfortable with using windows xp that many don’t want to make the transition over to the windows vista . technically , we are creatures of habit so when it comes to making changes it’s not all that easy .
deciding which operating system is best for you has become decidedly trickier , then , and the arrival of windows 7 only complicates things further . is the newcomer just vista with a facelift ? or has microsoft learned from its mistakes and delivered a product that will restore its battered reputation ? perhaps you should forget about vista and windows 7 altogether , opting for the mature xp instead ?
the aero desktop is really nothing more than a collection of window and desktop behaviors that make windows 7 the prettiest version of the operating system to date . features such as aero snap let you quickly organize open windows and transparency makes it easy to see what’s underneath other windows . with windows xp , think opaque , with windows 7 , think translucent .
i have five windows vista installations . i ' m reducing that number to two , one of which will be in a dual - boot with xp . the windows vista installation i have on my main windows machine was a vista upgrade install , and it ' s the least stable . that ' s why it ' s getting fresh dual - boot clean installs . the other vista machine i ' m keeping stays in the office , where i don ' t use it frequently . if i need other vista boxes for testing , i ' ll set them up as i need them .
in windows vista and windows server 2008 , all firewall events were considered ‘audit’ events , and were generated only if the appropriate audit category was enabled . in windows 7 and windows server 2008 r2 , some of these events are now ‘operational’ events , and appear in the event viewer without having to be enabled first . they appear under applications and service logs \ microsoft \ windows \ windows firewall with advanced security .
decision : windows xp is still , and likely will remain for some time , the compatibility bar for new microsoft applications . if and when microsoft attempts to create an exclusive vista tie - in , the company will need to articulate some valid technical reason – one that stands up to scrutiny from the it community – for not supporting windows xp .
that’s stellar news for those of us who don’t have to support anything other than vista .
windows 10 is now available . microsoft is currently offering the operating system for free for a limited time to windows 7 , windows 8 , and windows 8 . 1 users . while this is great news for a majority of pc owners , those of you still holding on to a windows xp or windows vista machine may be feeling left behind . all isn ' t lost , however , and there are still upgrade options available . here ' s what you can do :
windows welcome , also known as oobe , has changed significantly for windows vista . in earlier versions of windows , the term oobe was used as an acronym for the
out - of - box experience
and as the name of a folder in the \ system32 directory . in windows vista , oobe . xml is the content file for oem - provided information to be displayed in windows welcome , isp sign - up dialog boxes , and welcome center .
but perhaps the biggest insurance policy for windows xp loyalists , and the crippling knockout blow for vista , is the impending arrival of windows 7 , due within the next 18 to 24 months . the idea that it shops will encounter some kind of showstopper issue between now and late 2009 ( the rumored target time frame for the windows 7 release ) has little credibility .
two years after the release of windows 1 , microsoft’s windows 2 replaced it in december 1987 . the big innovation for windows 2 was that windows could overlap each other , and it also introduced the ability to minimise or maximise windows instead of “iconising” or “zooming” .
but anyway , that wasn’t even the point ulric was trying to make . cocoa is a new framework . wpf is a new framework . you can’t run a cocoa application on a version of mac os released before 2001 and you can’t run a wpf app on a version of windows released before 2001 . seems like a much better comparison to me .
i think the snark against enthusiasts is a bit unwarranted here . that checkbox had a real effect on xp , because xp was so bad at automatically choosing what ' s best as it promised to . and , because microsoft left it nearly a decade to release a worthy successor to xp , xp tips and tricks have gained a mindshare that is only just beginning to dwindle .
windows messenger : the vaunted windows messenger is not included with windows server 2003 . you are spared the trouble of uninstalling or deactivating it .
@ simonrev , not quite . if you have two computers side - by - side , one with xp and one with vista + , you can notice that gdi is really fast in xp and usually just barely tolerable in vista + . of course , it ' ll depend on the applications you test , so you should test with a gdi intensive application , and then it ' ll be really intolerable .
what is different about windows 7 that makes it more secure ? windows xp was created before microsoft began its trustworthy computing initiative and developed the security development life cycle to manage the process of designing more secure software . as a result , windows 7 has a variety of features — aslr , patchguard , uac , pmie — that don ' t exist in windows xp and that help prevent successful attacks against the os .
i then rebooted and installed vista into the new active partition ( it took around 25 minutes ) , and then finally installed the gag boot manager utility ( urltoken — see pc notes march 2007 for more details ) , with its ' hide primary partitions ' option enabled . the result ? three windows installs ( xp general , xp music , and vista 64–bit ) all co–existing happily , essentially unaware of the other ' s existence , and hence no interactions or conflicts .
the rest of my windows hardware will shortly revert to pristine windows xp installations . windows xp is a mature operating system that ' s not trying to be something that it ' s not . the user experience is better than vista ' s . there ' s no
reduced functionality mode
that will inadvertently trip when microsoft ' s wga / spp servers have an outage again .
considered by many as what windows vista should have been , windows 7 was first released in october 2009 . it was intended to fix all the problems and criticism faced by vista , with slight tweaks to its appearance and a concentration on user - friendly features and less “dialogue box overload” .
as more and more people make the switch to windows 7 , the game developers and publishers are likely to take full advantage of more recent directx versions . stick with xp too long , and you may be shut out of the newest games .
there are countless reasons why an xp user should take the plunge and upgrade to windows 10 . below we address what to consider , key benefits and common pitfalls .
the previous method of using oempnpdriverpath as a mechanism to add device drivers to windows is not supported in windows vista . you must add device drivers to your answer file by using package manager , or during windows setup .
language packs in windows vista replace multilingual user interface ( mui ) files from previous versions of windows . unlike mui files , language packs can be added to an offline windows image . for more information about language packs , see manage language packs for windows .
“it was certainly one of the strongest in terms of market appeal , ” said ross rubin , who tracked windows for npd and jupiter communications before striking out on his own as an independent analyst . “what made xp really significant is that it brought together the reliability of the windows nt kernel with the consumer friendliness and driver support of the consumer windows line . ”
just like that of windows xp , vista ' s audio performance will benefit significantly from some tweaks and , as usual , there are loads of them being touted on the internet . however , many offer marginal benefits to musicians , or may even be detrimental to audio performance . this
although windows xp did have a 64 - bit version ( windows xp x64 ) , many people are unaware that it even existed . when upgrading from xp to windows 7 , you will have to decide whether you want the 32 - bit version ( x86 ) or the 64 - bit version ( x64 ) . which you choose largely depends on your computer’s hardware and the availability of drivers and other software to make everything work in your pc .
the actual price to move machines from xp to windows 10 is a lot when multiplied by x amount of pcs . you should also consider the cost of training staff , especially if you ' re moving from windows 8 .
sketchup requires a 64 - bit version of windows . also , to install sketchup , windows 8 . 1 must be current with windows update .
user account control ( uac ) : uac is arguably the most misunderstood and maligned feature of windows . the confusion and backlash over uac contributed significantly to the demise of windows vista . the goal of uac is to limit software to running with standard user privileges , while offering a simpler means of elevating privileges when necessary .
sketchup 7 with the release of sketchup 7 we removed support for windows 2000 and earlier .
decision : there is little or no clamor in the windows xp community for better stability or reliability . windows xp is a mature , stable os with a well - known list of weaknesses and corresponding work - arounds . on paper , vista brings a better foundation , but in practice , it addresses problems that most customers weren ' t aware even existed , let alone needed fixing .
cost - while some windows 7 and windows 8 users will not get windows 10 free , for the vast majority there is no cost to upgrading whatsoever . on paper this is a great deal because windows 10 is not cheap and ‘windows 10 home’ and ‘windows 10 pro’ editions retail for $ 119 and $ 199 respectively .
with windows xp , the visual design team wanted to give the look of windows a new life . changing the non - client area ( such as the window frame ) was comparatively straightforward , since programs didn ' t have much control over that part of the window anyway . as a result , they get the windows xp look
for free
.
sketchup 2015 with the release of sketchup 2015 we’ve removed support for windows vista , windows xp and os x 10 . 7 ( lion ) and earlier . sketchup 2015 and earlier isn ' t supported on mac os x sierra , but is supported on mac os x mountain lion , mavericks , and yosemite . additionally you must have microsoft internet explorer 9 or greater .
windows 7 ultimate 64 - bit , windows 8 . 1 pro 64 - bit , windows 10 pro 64 - bit
synthetic benchmark performance the last half of our performance comparison guide covers synthetic benchmarks , including wprime , pcmark05 , pcmark vantage , and 3dmark06 . both systems had all available windows updates installed and we used a non - aero basic theme during each test . the results we found were very surprising . after the pretty significant advantages windows 7 showed in day - to - day performance in prior tests . the only area where windows 7 performed equal to or better than vista was in 3d performance … which had marginal gains at best .
the windows opk is for oems and system builders , and contains all the tools and information in the windows aik . in addition , the windows opk provides specific information about oem licensing requirements and policy guidelines .


elephant games is a casual game developing company founded in 2003 in yoshkar-ola , russia .

there are also divisions in cheboksary , penza , samara , kazan .

elephant games currently produces games for pc , mac , ipad , iphone and android .

most of the company 's projects are published on big fish games .

elephant games

we offer free flash games in many different genres : online shooting games , online puzzle games , online war games , free online car games , free online hidden object games and dozens more .
this series actually belongs to big fish games , but elephant games were hired to design and help produce it as a joint effort .
see the whole half - hour movie and more on alt . sportz dvd . . . urltoken thailand ' s elephant festival features elephant soccer , elephant tug - of - war , elephant speed and agility races , elephant training , working elephants and a village where elephants are kept as pets .
popular games sir match - a - lot baywatch slot machine game big fish games app big fish casino gummy drop ! dungeon boss sunken secrets plants vs . zombies fairway solitaire midnight castle zuma deluxe bejeweled 2 deluxe ways to play pc games mac games online games ipad & iphone games android games
how games are classified is determined by the site editor . many games cross several genres and award categories .
. their games span a wide variety of genres , from supernatural mysteries to fantasy to lighter puzzle games .
we strive to deliver the best gaming experiences on the internet and on your mobile phone . play thousands of free online games , get access to free mmorpg games , online rpg games , fun online flash games , and more .
play free elephants games online every day . the coolest games , especially for you ! select a game to play !
looking for some cool online games with elephants ? then you are right here on silvergames . com ! here you will find the best free online elephant games in the world . all our games about these clumsy big animals are free and can be played without download or registration .
an open platform for all web games ! get your games in front of thousands of users while monetizing through ads and virtual goods .
i won’t lie . most developers have pretty much the same development process . but elephant’s teams always try to reach the high level of quality set by our earlier games .
and if you don ' t have enough time to go to the zoo , here you can play fun addicting elephant games at any time and spend some time having fun . you can guide elephants through obstacle courses or help them to fight in some exciting battles . here you can go on safari and watch jumbos or play with cute little baby elephants . have fun with our free elephant games and baby elephants games !
lighter and softer : the christmas stories games are much light hearted than their other hidden object games , as they are mainly riffs on classic fairy tales .
my name is peter , and i manage game development at elephant games . our very talented team on midnight castle has already created several successful hopa games . for this one , we wanted to do something innovative . we worked hard , and now you finally have a chance to judge our work .
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games had simplistic cgi characters and iffy gameplay . it ' s not until they produced
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by 2013 , 24 out of 27 elephant’s hopa games were released by big fish games as collector’s editions with average rating of 4 . 4 . in 2012 , our free - to - play game found : a hidden object adventure has spend the majority of time in top - 10 pc games on big fish games site . 9 on - going series vary in setting , art , plot and difficulty , which presents the players an opportunity to find the very one and only game for themselves .
while the beijing , athens and sydney games relied heavily on permanent sites , 257 , 000 out of 745 , 100 seats in london ' s 34 olympics venues will be dismantled after the games leave town , equal to the total number removed in the three previous games combined , populous data showed .
there were more murderous ways to dispatch an elephant than to frighten it with a pig , as vegetius relates in de re militari ( iii . 24 ) .
hidden object game : gamezebo considers them one of the best creators in the casual game industry , on par with big fish games , alawar , blue tea games , boomzap entertainment , and ers game studios .
elephants are pretty smart animals . did you know that elephants can communicate at a very long distance , by making very low noises ? they also have a good memory . elephants are big , but they can look really cute . think of dombo from the disney movies . did you ever see an elephant in clothes ? here you ' ll find elephant dress up games . go on an adventure with the elephants or work with them in the circus .
medium blending : the first three games of the surface and mystery trackers games superimposed live actors moving against the painted backgrounds , but have since dropped it in favor of photo - filtered renditions of the actors for a more seamless blending .
pliny goes on to relate the natural antipathy of the indian elephant and the serpent ,
the serpents also being of so large a size that they easily encircle the elephants in their coils and fetter them with a twisted knot . in this duel both combatants die together , and the vanquished elephant in falling crushes with its weight the snake coiled round it .
first , we want to assure our fans that we aren’t abandoning their beloved premium games . we are still elephant – we’ve just created a new game in a new genre . there are many reasons why it is worth playing . there’s no risk because it’s free ! our game designers have developed great content . midnight castle has wonderful art , created in the best tradition of our games , and familiar to experienced players .
liam killeen from the british mountain biking team takes on the course at the london 2012 olympic games mountain bike competition venue .
the social features were the biggest technical challenge for our team , simply because they are not a part of our premium games .
riverbank arena , the venue of the hockey competition at the london 2012 olympic games , at the olympic park in east london .
sign in to see reasons why you may or may not like this based on your games , friends , and curators you follow .
with more than thirty games released , we understand that you might have some questions . if there are any , feel free to contact us !
but , let ' s look at some of the differences . the piece which we now call the bishop was originally an elephant , and it had the most peculiar move : two spaces diagonally , with the ability to leap over a piece in its way . if you place this piece on the chess board and begin moving it around in this fashion , you ' ll soon find that there are only eight squares on the entire board that the piece can possibly move to ! a strange move , not a very powerful piece . . . and interestingly , unlike the manner of movement that would characterize an actual elephant on the battlefield . we ' ll discuss more elephant moves as we go along .
aelian , on the characteristics of animals , writes that the elephant is terrified of a squealing pig , which is how the romans put to flight the elephants of pyrrhus . indeed , when antigonus ii ( gonatas ) , the grandson of antigonus i ( cyclops ) , was besieging megara , pigs were released , their squeals assured by the fact that the unfortunate creatures were smeared with oil and set afire . pliny , too , tells of the ability of a squealing pig to startle an elephant , and procopius , in the gothic war , relates how a war elephant approached the wall of a besieged town , looming over it , only to have a squealing pig thrust in its face , which panicked the beast .
level map display : one of their signature features is a map interface that eliminates backtracking . it ' s especially useful in the plot - heavy games .
competitors from egypt exit the venue after training ahead of the 2012 olympic games on july 23 , 2012 at the royal artillery barracks in london , england .
follow the courageous elephant , joy , in his quest to save his beloved jungle in this unique action game . reveal his story and become immersed in the fairy - tale adventure as you advance through enchanting landscapes and levels filled with evil enemies .
this is the best place on the web to play online games for free ! no matter what game style you prefer , we ' ve got it here .
the most you ' ll get from the npcs is a reference to your title if you ' re a detective , but other games will state your gender .
most video games have colorful casts of characters that draw players in and help sell their narratives , but only a select few have made the [ . . . ]
be sure to use this coupon code before it expires ( monday , january 31st , 2011 ) and remember , this coupon code is for standard version games only .
there are many unique things about the midnight castle universe versus other free - to - play games . for example , you’ll need to assemble a compass and compile a book .
elephant games proudly presents the next thrilling installment in the midnight calling series ! a shipwreck has stranded you on a mysterious island and your brother has been kidnapped . as if things weren ' t bad enough , you learn that this is all part of a plot to use his magical powers to overthrow your father . can you save him and your kingdom before it ' s too late ? find out in this thrilling hidden - object puzzle adventure ! learn more
scenery porn : these games are beautifully rendered , but in the spookier supernatural settings such as fate ' s carnival or the grim tales series , it can lead to scenery gorn .
game developer ? visit urltoken to request ag developer status , find documentation on our apis , and get access to our development environment . let ' s make sweet , sweet games together .
this image , which is in the carthage museum , is from a large mosaic depicting animals being hunted and captured for the amphitheater . here , an elephant , its wrinkled skin represented by cross - hatching , is being cruelly bitten by a boa that has entwined itself around the hapless beast .
it ' s implied in the mystery trackers games that the player character is female , as paxton creek avenger shows the character wearing high heeled boots and the coat ' s hem resembles a dress .
gaming websites , passionate bloggers , and quirky streamers are welcome to share or review our games . if you need game keys , art , trailers , screenshots or more check out our press kit website .
what does this mean for me ? you will always be able to play your favorite games on kongregate . however , certain site features may suddenly stop working and leave you with a severely degraded experience .
, as it marks the player detective’s return to madame fate’s carnival and all of the mystery and wonder that is swirling around inside . but while the carnival setting itself might seem rehashed on paper , this time around everything in madam fate’s world just seems so much livelier , and elephant games packs on the content and inventive puzzles to match . i hope you picked up a carnival day pass and have your pockets lined with tickets , because you’re going to be enjoying your time at this spooky fair for quite a while !
the ioc is also increasingly aware of the importance of what happens once the games leave town , said paul mitchell , executive director of sport at consultancy arcadis which advised on the construction of london olympic stadium .
beijing , which hosted a spectacular summer olympics opening ceremony in 2008 , has struggled to find tenants or generate revenue from most of the 32 olympic venues in beijing , 12 of which it built for the games .
they first became known for their mystery trackers series of games and have since branched out into other stories , such as the surface and the grim tales series . gamezebo has praised their stunning artwork and immersive game environments .
full motion video : surface and mystery trackers started out using these with their characters and cutscenes , but by their respective fourth games , have settled for using traditional animation of the characters and dropping the full motion cutscenes .
with the completion of the third title in the rip series , the rip games have become an instant classic in the arcade - shooter genre . rip  trilogy brings all three rip titles into one exciting and heart - pounding pack .
in 218 bc , hannibal crossed the alps with thirty - seven elephants and defeated the romans at trebbia . indeed , had not a wounded elephant thrown the others into confusion , the roman losses would have been even greater ( zonaras , epitome of history , viii . 13 , who also relates that the soldiers fought from towers on the backs of the elephants ) .
we’ve been working on hopa games for several years . our experience has been that the audience loves the thrilling stories , interesting mechanics , sympathetic characters and adorable helpers in this genre . we hope that we’ve already learned how to create high - quality hopas . so we wanted to combine free - to - play with the kind of great hogs our players have come to expect from us . taking free - to - play games to a new level seemed like a great challenge !
in addition to possibly shipping its basketball stadium to brazil , london is in talks with organisers of the 2014 glasgow commonwealth games about transferring venues and spoke to chicago about reusing seats from the olympic stadium had the american city won the 2016 bid .
rio de janeiro , which took the 2016 host baton from london in a star - studded closing ceremony on sunday , and 2022 world cup host qatar are among cities taking notes from the uk capital , which held the most ' temporary ' olympic games in history .
midnight castle is also very user - friendly . it’s nice to play something designed especially for you . finally , the game’s full - scale , complex story distinguishes it from other free - to - play games . the player’s actions actually make a difference in the world of midnight castle .
we could say a lot of funny and witty things here ! we could , but we won’t . seriously , there’s one very important ideology in our company . we believe that our games ( and all of our work ) should speak for itself . thank you for giving us this chance . we really appreciate it !
midnight castle has the great elements of classic hog games . you can apply objects in zoom zones , and stroll from one location to another . it’s always nice to have something familiar in a new game , isn’t it ? it’s also fun to collect pets . all in all , it’s an entirely new world to explore .
we’re happy to present you with the big fish games’ customer favorites awards for 2010 ! now , you can get any of the standard version winners for only $ 4 . 99 for a limited time ! just use the coupon code below during checkout for any standard version game . coupon code will not work for collector edition titles :
with the completion of the third title in the rip series , the rip games have become an instant classic in the arcade - shooter genre . rip  trilogy brings all three rip titles into one exciting and heart - pounding pack . ripnot afraid of death ? what if he is accompanied by halloween and rock - n - roll ?
the elephant is the largest of them all , and in intelligence approaches the nearest to man . it understands the language of its country , it obeys commands , and it remembers all the duties which it has been taught . it is sensible alike of the pleasures of love and glory , and , to a degree that is rare among men even , possesses notions of honesty , prudence , and equity ; it has a religious respect also for the stars , and a veneration for the sun and the moon .
we are very enthusiastic about what we are doing . our current goals include premium hogs ( players , we are still with you ! ) , and the development of free - to - play games on pc and other platforms . we have a lot of ideas , and it’s time we had a chance to show them to the world .
white elephants were once considered highly sacred creatures in thailand—the animal even graced the national flag until 1917—but they were also wielded as a subtle form of punishment . according to legend , if an underling or rival angered a siamese king , the royal might present the unfortunate man with the gift of a white elephant . while ostensibly a reward , the creatures were tremendously expensive to feed and house , and caring for one often drove the recipient into financial ruin . whether any specific rulers actually bestowed such a passive - aggressive gift is uncertain , but the term has since come to refer to any burdensome possession—pachyderm or otherwise .
many expedients have been used against them . in lucania a centurion cut off the trunk of one with his sword . two soldiers armed from head to foot in a chariot drawn by two horses , also covered with armor , attacked these beasts with lances of great length . they were secured by their armor from the archers on the elephants and avoided the fury of the animals by the swiftness of their horses . foot soldiers completely armored , with the addition of long iron spikes fixed on their arms , shoulders and helmets , to prevent the elephant from seizing them with his trunk , were also employed against them .
romans first encountered the elephant in 280 bc . pyrrhus had transported twenty of the beasts to italy by ship and , at the battle of heraclea , the unfamiliar animals routed the roman cavalry ;
their horses , before they got near the animals , were terrified and ran away with their riders
( plutarch , life of pyrrhus , xvii . 3 ) . the next year at asculum , there was another pyrrhic victory ,
the greatest havoc was wrought by the furious strength of the elephants , since the valour of the romans was of no avail in fighting them , but they felt that they must yield before them as before an onrushing billow or a crashing earthquake , and not stand their ground only to die in vain , or suffer all that is most grievous without doing any good at all
( xxi . 7 ) .
whereas the greeks and carthaginians used elephants mainly in war , the romans used them primarily for spectacle , the first time in 275 bc , when those that had been captured from pyrrhus were displayed in triumph . in 55 bc , when pompey dedicated his theater , the events in the circus included venationes . plutarch says that five hundred lions were killed , but there was
above all , an elephant fight , a most terrifying spectacle
( life of pompey , lii . 4 ) . cicero , who was present , wrote to a friend that there were two animal hunts a day , which lasted for five days .
the last day was that of the elephants , and on that day the mob and crowd were greatly impressed , but manifested no pleasure . indeed the result was a certain compassion and a kind of feeling that that huge beast has a fellowship with the human race
( ad familiares , vii . 1 ) .
by fully committing to this carnival theme from beginning to end , fate’s carnival is able to make extensive use of its surroundings at every turn , and you’ll never find yourself at a want for attractions to see or fun things to do ( except maybe eating some delicious cotton candy in real life ) . everything that you can possibly think of in relation to a carnival has found its way into this hog in some capacity , and your interactions with each one are as devilishly fun and clever as if you were partaking in the lights and the sounds yourself . from enticing chance games and the fortune teller’s tent , to a ferris wheel and roller coaster , this is the most expansive carnival setting that you’re likely to ever see in an hog .
the idea of resting on your laurels dates back to leaders and athletic stars of ancient greece . in hellenic times , laurel leaves were closely tied to apollo , the god of music , prophecy and poetry . apollo was usually depicted with a crown of laurel leaves , and the plant eventually became a symbol of status and achievement . victorious athletes at the ancient pythian games received wreaths made of laurel branches , and the romans later adopted the practice and presented wreaths to generals who won important battles . venerable greeks and romans , or “laureates , ” were thus able to “rest on their laurels” by basking in the glory of past achievements . only later did the phrase take on a negative connotation , and since the 1800s it has been used for those who are overly satisfied with past triumphs .
but what’s so great about fate’s carnival is that it fully utilizes each one of these inclusions to its greatest potential : nothing in this game has been put there strictly for show . the hidden object scenes are perfect in number , and appear at all the right times in your adventure , with wonderful interactive components and mini - games spread evenly throughout , like pushing different elemental buttons in the correct order to eject a roller coaster car’s driving seat . however , a few of the actual exploration puzzles do tend to get a little repetitive in both their actions and rewards . one section in particular early on in the game has you throwing a dart at a target to release a mystery item . once you earn the trinket , two new targets pop up and send you off in search of two more darts . once you knock those down , three more are already there waiting .
midnight castle is more than a hidden - object , free - to - play game – it’s a mystery with fantasy elements . your adventure begins when you inherit a castle , but it isn’t the kind of castle where a butler invites you in to sit in a cozy armchair by the fireplace . the world of the game is crammed with secrets , and features several enigmatic characters . each are concerned with the big mystery – the chamber of wishes hidden somewhere in the very heart of the castle . and this is only the beginning !
a premium game , once purchased , stays the same . it’s like a book you’ve read cover to cover . you can always return to it , and replay .
but a free - to - play game is a relatively endless adventure , and one you can take with your friends by your side . this is one key difference between a free - to - play game and a premium game – social features . when you play a free - to - play game , you can find new online friends , befriend the people you know from real life , share your achievements or help your mate overcome an obstacle and complete quests . it’s a truly breathtaking experience !
also , the characters’ personalities and appearance unfold and change throughout the game . diversity is important – you are on an adventure , after all !
concentrating on a single element will lead to invariable failure . all the components of a game need to be strong . this is why story , atmosphere , mechanics and gameplay all matter . our priority is meeting the expectations of players while surprising them with something new .
free - to - play is a new field for us , with new opportunities and risks . it might be a mine field . but we feel inspired to walk across it anyway , and the most important feedback and critique we receive comes from the forums . they allow us to coordinate the development process with requests from the fans and the audience .
shortly after moving into a creepy mansion in louisiana , sara lawson is struck with tragedy when her husband mysteriously disappears . sara’s daughter , magnolia , believes her father was kidnapped by the ghost of a vengeful pirate seeking to protect his lost fortune . with the locals terrified of the pirate’s curse , you are the family’s last hope . only a master detective with incredible hidden object skills can locate marcus lawson in mystery case files : 13th skull ! learn more !
a kingdom’s future rests in the light of three beacons . can they be lit in time ? will the shadows be cast into light ?
meet flo and the other dinertoons as youthful dinerteens , working their first summer job at mr . big’s theme park restaurants !
take the king’s challenge ! save the wonderful land of countless islands , islandshire , from the merciless forces of nature .
for those who are interested , all winners earned this honor based on overall customer purchases . the following factors were used to determine the winners :
a game can only win one award ( i . e . if a game wins
game of the year
, it cannot qualify for
best hidden object game
, etc . )
lively atmosphere with lots to see and even more to do . extremely inventive puzzle designs . great game length and tons of bonus content .
story takes a little while to really get going . a few exploration segments can feel somewhat repetitive .
truth be told , i didn’t feel like there was much of a story to accompany the action of fate’s carnival at first . the player detective simply shows up at the titular carnival and references repeatedly through the dialogue that you had been there once before on a previous case . the majority of the game will simply involve your silent character moving through the carnival , and saving various carnies in distress : like the amazing larry , who’s somehow found himself irreplaceably sawn in half , or the strong man , who’s found his muscles being pushed to their limit in a hellish gauntlet of sorts . there’s also the occasional scare or two , which actually made me jump in both their sounds and execution .
however , that’s certainly not to say the story never heats up as more mysteries and evil forces gradually get introduced , and that it doesn’t lay the foundation for all sorts of carnival magic and wonder to crop up along the way . you’ll also be given a spooky ghost cat by madame fate at the start of the game , who will help by reaching certain items that are well out of your reach , or scaring bats and attacking fish for your own personal gain : just like any good ghost cat would do . this adds a unique component to the exploration segments of the game , as you’ll often forget that the ghost cat is exactly what you need to solve a puzzle when you’ve exhausted all other options in your inventory .
one of my favorite parts about fate’s carnival is just how many extra things there are to do in the game outside of the regular storyline , even for a hidden object adventure . for instance , you can find some well - hidden playing cards along your journey , which unlocks a fun variation of solitaire from within the bonus menu . you can keep your eyes peeled for special character bobble heads that morph into the actual scenery , and if you manage to pick up enough cash lying around the fair , then you can even purchase a number of fun decorative items to spruce up your very own carnival tent . and of course , this is all without even mentioning the generous bonus chapter that rounds out the total collector’s edition package , making it a tremendous amount of content to keep you playing well into the night , after everyone else has gone home and the rides are all closed .
so in the end , it almost goes without saying that mystery case files : fate’s carnival proves to be another worthy addition to the acclaimed hidden object adventure series , and it captures the essence and charm of the carnival world to near perfection . many gamers already feel the mystery case files series has always exemplified hidden object gaming at the highest caliber , and fate’s carnival only drives that point home even further . with tons of content to explore , extremely inventive puzzle designs , and a setting that’s just as expansive as it is filled with things to do , you’ll be hearing that carnival song long after the carnies have packed up their tents and moved on to the next town .
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after crash landing on a mysterious and secluded island , you will need to quickly learn how to adapt and survive in found : a hidden object adventure ! as you explore the island you will meet swashbuckling pirates .
though you haven’t made it off the island , you’re one step closer ! to make it out of winter and into spring , you’ll need to explore the new ice palace location , but watch out for the stunning and devious snow queen .
during a celebration , a mysterious organ grinder appears , selling fortune cards for a penny . when the first victim falls prey to a mysterious beast , you rush to discover who this organ grinder is and what he wants .
accidentally you miss the train with your husband and daughter on board . it fades into the darkness of the tunnel and never makes the other side of it – the train simply disappears into the air .
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gametunnel gives rip 3 a 73 %
the rip series is getting better with every game in my personal estimation . the wide variety of characters with vehicles and weapons that get cooler with each new game should not be missed
. read the full review here . gameplasma gives rip - trilogy an 8 . 4
i had no idea what to expect , but after a couple minutes with the game , i was lost to it . this shooter brought back memories of smash tv and the countless hours that i had lost to it in my youth .
read the full review here .
not afraid of death ? what if he is accompanied by halloween and rock - n - roll ? play the part of these antiheroes and go to war in this all - out action experience ! each character has their own strengths and skills , but this is not a game for the faint of heart . with over 40 levels to rip through , the results are murderous !
your favorite antiheroes are here to strike back with another score to settle . death , halloween and rock - n - roll . . . each character has his own strengths and skills , so pick one and start shooting . in story mode , you ' ll fight through 60 furious levels using an arsenal of upgradeable weapons , tanks , helicopters and turrets or for a quick adrenaline fix , play rush mode and see how long you can last .
rip3  the last hero combines the dynamics of a hardcore shooter while preserving the elusive classic arcade appeal and never lets up on the intense action . every level presents a new challenge , requiring you to not only prove your sharp - shooting , but to think and act tactically .
the terrain and environments must be employed to survive waves of adversaries , but since all in - game objects are destructible , you must think fast . your hero will travel all over the world from the african jungle to the arctic snow , through secret labs and bunkers , in the streets and skyscrapers of metropolis city and also go into deep space using a hijacked spaceship .
minimum : windows xp / 2000 , 1 ghz processor , 256 mb ram , 128 mb 3d video card , directx 9 . 0c , 50 mb of available hard disk space
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it’s late evening , and the lights of the traffic are blinking on both sides of your car . you see a beautiful hitchhiker girl and pick her up .
people of silverlake , a fantasy town , have accused creatures of kidnapping and attacking their relatives .
the events take place in 50 - s of the xx - s century . mark stewart and his wife jane go to europe on their vacation .
arabella and damian didn’t suspect that boarding the ship for a short voyage would turn into a catastrophe .
a random encounter is going to turn your life upside down ! you got cursed after a fellow traveler you picked up on the road vanished from your car , and now you have only three days before this curse takes effect .
people of silverlake , a fantasy town , have accused creatures of kidnapping and attacking their relatives . guards are hunting down the creatures everywhere in town .
the stewarts family survived a train crash . there is a mystery in how mark stewart found himself in an unknown hotel , completely alone .
the mcgrays , a family of your relatives , were poisoned in their own mansion .
you and your daughter are in danger – you get in a car crash and wake up near a strange town . your daughter has disappeared .
a traveling circus called “chimera’s magic” comes to paris . is it a coincidence that a series of attacks happens in the city right after that ?
our cousin rachel is a journalist working for “ghost seekers” tv - show . the crew is eager to make a worldwide sensation of their story about the “alexander valentine” hotel .
your father disappeared , your native town is destroyed , and all this is somehow connected with the mysterious wise dragon .
our nephew calls for help , his son billy went missing during the fire in the boarding school .
in the course of her last investigation in an abandoned shadowfield observatory , the detective of mystery trackers order encounters something really terrible and loses her memory .
after watching your sister die in front of you , you swear to follow her to the afterlife no matter what .
the events take place in the 30s of xx century . in the evening , when we sit by the fireplace , we get a letter from the “freedom” hotel from elizabeth blake , our mother , who asks for help .
actions take place in the european town of linford in the early 20th century .
the action takes place in 19th century , in a fantasy town of dorfield .
stacy , our friend and relative , has disappeared when she was investigating her origin . go back in time to the cursed town of graywitch and find out what the grays’ ancestors could do to save their family .
a plan to spend a quiet weekend at the baker’s hotel turned into a nightmare . an accident turned you into a ghost while you son have been kidnapped !
a christmas legend says that santa makes gifts only to good kids . evil bertha visits bad kids . you will have to turn into a brave boy oliver twist . his sister wendy got into trouble on christmas eve – she is imprisoned by bertha .
a search for the friend who disappeared in virtual reality is turning into a nightmare . find out the secrets hidden by the virtual reality and play a game against computer on its territory . the fate of world is at stake !
the action takes place in a european town ronas , in 18th century . lord lankerman asks you to catch a runaway criminal guilty of the epidemic that affects only kids of the town…
a lovely picnic turned into a nightmare for three friends . the students were looking for a place to wait out the storm and walked into the old hotel full of ghosts !
the search for a missing boarding school student called stacy becomes an operation of saving not only her , but also the whole world . discover the scary secrets of dorian black’s manor in crimson hollow !
when otherworldly creatures attack a train and kidnap an innocent girl , the mystery trackers detectives come to the rescue . a seemingly peaceful journey becomes an exciting adventure full of mysteries and danger ! villains must pay for hurting the innocent and ruining vacations !
when your mind and eyes start failing you making you see unbelievable things , you decide to go to a doctor . however , your visit ends quite unexpectedly – the doctor turns into a terrible huntsman and tries to kill you ! besides , your cat suddenly becomes a real cheshire cat who tells you that fairyland is in dire need of a hero like you . there’s nothing else for you to do but to take your smiling cat in your arms and set off to save everyone and everything in the new game surface : lost tales !
what do you do when your sister is very sick and a vile witch has the only remedy that can save her ? jeronimo doesn’t hesitate and rushes into the villain’s lair , having no idea it’s the beginning of a big adventure ! help the desperate inn - keeper find the medicine , reveal the dark witch’s secrets and ruin her evil plans that place the whole town in jeopardy .
you go for a sabbatical trip to scotland , to the shore of one of its lakes . you’re sitting at your cottage and painting a picture of the paysages surrounding you . you think that nothing will bother you when something shiny falls from the sky and breaks your shed . you enter the shed and find an unusual amulet . it has your surname on it ! . .
heavy snowfall is just like an omen . you encounter a police car on the roadway that got wrecked because of the heavy storm . the police officer asks to give him a lift and take him to axiom hotel where he is going to continue investigating the copycat murderer case…
living in the ancient castle turned out to be a real trial for the young family of the grays . brandon’s wife elena slipped into coma , little son billy has gone missing , and brandon himself is very much on edge , since similar events happened to him in the past . their further fate is in your hands !
the magic kingdom was prospering . however , one day it was attacked and taken over by the dastardly dragon . he encaged the residents and cursed all the lands . the monsters of the kingdom sided with the dragon . what secrets does the magic kingdom hide ? come and discover them yourselves !
an old friend , a wodden figurine rupert , asks you for help – the town of glanville is attacked by clay golems and the townspeople can’t resist their power . the town is facing complete destruction ! find out why the golems invaded the town . what secrets do the people of glanville keep ?
an unknown villain , who calls himself the legendary avenger , wants to destroy mystery trackers order and kidnaps an innocent girl . only you can stop the wrongdoer who is ready to do anything for fulfilling his evil plan !
santa asked you to get back the stolen christmas star . only you can save christmas !
it’s a usual day , and you are looking through the family pictures . suddenly your mother calls you and tells you that horrible things happen to your town…
your sister left you a video message , just like she usually does . she said she would be at your place within a few hours after making a story about the “lexington” hotel , but the record date state she should have come two days ago !
the keepers of munich are expecting the arrival of a mysterious stranger to their city . according to the prophecy , the stranger has great power that can be used both for creation and destruction . everything gets complicated : one of the keepers is found dead in the carriage…
go back to the past to save jackie’s parents from tragic death that happened 20 years ago . however , when you start to play with death , be ready to play according to her rules !
the castle is calling ! play as the lovely anabel , whose father , henry , disappeared several years ago . now he’s calling to you in your dreams and needs your help . travel back to your hometown to save your father and uncover the secrets of midnight castle !
mystical fires erupted in northern part of oregon . local police are baffled , so they summon you , a professional detective . the fires have been scaring the locals for several years . is it a plan of an arsonist or is it the legendary phoenix of stone spires , bursting out the flames on sinful people ?
your sixteenth birthday should have become one of the best days of your life . you wake up with a feeling of joy . your parents were supposed to make a surprise , but they disappeared . your friend tells you that there are no adults in town . find out what happened in surface : alone in the mist .
ms . gray , an unrivaled detective with ability to go to the past , is in danger . they find a corpse in her house . she doesn’t remember the preceding events and has no idea who the murderer is . she is the prime suspect . go back in time and find out who is the murderer in grim tales : the final suspect .
a famous philanthropist asks you to guard him while he delivers a public speech . it seems to be an easy job until everything turns upside down right before your eyes . find the criminal , discover what motivates him and save professor in haunted hotel : eternity !
tragedy hit a small village : somebody kidnapped a kid . local people accuse mysterious owl man . the case is complicated , but mystery trackers detective and his loyal four - legged partner elf are ready to crack it ! find the criminal and unveil all secrets in mystery trackers : nightsville horror !
what could make your companion detective head to a forgotten hotel on the lonely island ? the last note you received from him claimed him to be dead . is it really so ? or maybe he is still alive and awaits your help ?
master detective is called to the frost - bound city to set right from wrong and discover the truth .
the grays’ family dinner turned a real nightmare for the whole family . their lives are threatened again , and only you can rescue them !
death himself needs your help ! dark minds seek for immortality . lives of innocent people are under danger . the balance of life is at stake . can you conduct a thorough investigation ?
a famous actress is kidnapped by a mysterious stranger . the mystery trackers order detective , accompanied by elf the little dog , follows the hot trail .
looking for money , a famous engineer and mechanic abraham shadowy buys an old residence and turns it into a hotel . the guests claim you might face real ghosts there !
the dark times for the mcgray family started when the parents of young elizabeth and james passed away leaving the children alone to cope with their lives and the immense fortune .
the little princess was born with a beautiful gift of animating statues , breathing life into them . being an orphan in the house of a man who found her at his doorstep , she had a lot of questions and the biggest of them was who her parents were . why would they leave their child ?
dangerous creatures and risky adventures are waiting for you during your investigation but the life of your niece is at stake so you have to hurry .