What's surprising about some of Vista's 'hidden' features is that they're hidden at alL Take handwriting and speectI r.ecognition, for example. A few years ago, these would have,been higher-profile selling points for Vista. Admittedly, the days when controlling a PC by voice or penstroke alone was the Holy Grail of computing have perhaps gone, but that doesn't make either feature any less useful for those who prefer - or physically require - an alternative to traditional mouse' and keyboard input. "Indeed, the inclusion of such features within Windows can save you a considerable.sum of cash.



It's possible, for example, " to" buy a standalone speech -recognition program from a third-party developer, such as bragon Naturally Speaking 10. Such a program might have certain advantages it might contain better tutorials, for example.- But is it worth I approximately , when using"' it is easy to a perfectly serviceable alternative comes built into your PC?

The same can be said for many of the other tools that appear when you give Vista a shake. Everyone has a hectic schedule nowadays, and thankfully Vista introduces, for the first time, a built-in calendar to ensure you never miss an appointment. Previously, anyone wanting to use their computers to keep an electronic diary or
to-do list would have to invest in expensive approximately,office suite software to do so.

Windows Calendar effectively removes the need for this, providing many of the same features (appointments, calendar sharing and the like) as the full ver-HTo prevent children from hogging the SlOn of MIcroSOft Outlook computer, it is possible to place time 2007. As wIth many of restrictions on its usage Vista's features, Windows Calendar is curiously understated, but it could be the very tool you've been looking for to help keep you organised.