Post by wadmodderpudu on Jul 2, 2020 21:35:43 GMT
A lot of you heard about Microsoft Plus! as a companion product to Windows 95 up until Windows XP, and many of you heard about Microsoft PowerToys for Windows 95, Windows XP, and the recent released PowerToys for Windows 10. But few of you ever heard about the Windows Vista Ultimate exclusive feature called Ultimate Extras.
Windows Ultimate Extras offered exclusive features for Windows Vista Ultimate users via Windows Update. Unfortunately, only a few Ultimate Extras were ever released, these were as follows:
BitLocker Drive Preparation Tool - Prepared the hard drive to be encrypted with BitLocker.
Secure Online Key Backup - Enabled used to create an off-site backup of their BitLocker recovery password and Encrypting File System recovery certificates at Digital Locker, a feature of the short-lived Windows Marketplace digital distribution platform. Rendered unusable after Windows Marketplace shuttered it's doors in August 2009.
Multilingual User Interface language packs
- Vista's language architecture separated the resources for the UI for the binary code of the OS. A total of 36 language packs were released to Windows Vista Ultimate users.
Microsoft Tinker - a puzzle video game where players must navigate a robot through mazes and obstacles through 60 levels. There was also a level editor released as well for players to create their own levels. This game was rereleased on Microsoft's Games for Windows - Live platform as a digital only game with additional levels, but does not support the level editor.
Microsoft Hold 'Em - A card poker game that allowed player to play against five players, three levels of difficulty, and customize aspects of the game. Relies on DirectX to provide hardware-accelerated 3D animations and effects, and required a computer with a Windows Experience Index of 2.0 for optimal performance. Initially planned to be included in the main OS as part of the premium games (Purple Place, Chess Titans, & Mahjong Titans) included in the Home Premium and Ultimate editions, due to it's gambling themes, it was released as an Ultimate Extra instead.
Windows sound schemes - A total of three sound schemes were released. They were Ultimate Extras Glass, Ultimate Extras Pearl, and Microsoft Tinker. The first two were released on April 28, 2008, while the latter was released on the day Tinker was released. The three sound schemes are similar to the Default sound scheme of Windows Vista, as they were also developed in accordance with the design language and principles of the Windows Aero graphical user interface.
Windows DreamScene - a utility that used MPEG and WMV to be displayed as desktop backgrounds. Required the Windows Aero graphical user interface to be enabled in order to function due to it's reliance on Desktop Windows Manager.
Ultimate Extras wallpapers - Two set of wallpapers were released titled Start and Strands. These were based on the retail packaging of Windows Vista Ultimate and were released in three different display resolutions.
Microsoft planned to release additional Ultimate Extras for Windows Vista Ultimate users, but these were ultimately never released, never came into fruition, or were cancelled during development. What features these unreleased Ultimate Extras would have had is completely unknown. These unreleased Ultimate Extras were:
A podcast creation application - was likely for users to create their own podcasts or a playlist of their favorite podcasts.
A game performance optimization utility - was likely for users to optimize their Windows PC games, and was likely to compete against similar game optimizers on the market in the 2000s.
Custom Desktop Themes - likely meant to be Ultimate Extras-branded Desktop Themes, or for users to create their own desktop themes.
Exclusive access to online content and services - it's unknown what they could had looked like, but my guesses would be Microsoft offered content, Third-Party services that utilize Microsoft developed products & APIs (such as Windows Media products), or Ultimate Extras-related services.
Windows Movie Maker effects and transitions - likely Ultimate Extras-branded effects and transitions exclusive to Windows Vista Ultimate users.
Templates for Windows DVD Maker - likely Ultimate Extras-branded templates exclusive to Windows Vista Ultimate users.
Digital Publications - it's unknown what they could had looked like, but my guesses would be Microsoft products, Windows development & support, or Ultimate Extras-related publications.
Group Shot photo manipulation application developed by Microsoft Research - this was shown by Bill Gates at the 2007 Consumer Electronics Show, what features it would have had is rather unknown.
Windows Ultimate Extras were unfortunately short-lived and were discontinued with Windows 7, and are uninstalled when upgrading from Windows Vista Ultimate to Windows 7 Ultimate if they were installed from Windows Update.
Windows Ultimate Extras offered exclusive features for Windows Vista Ultimate users via Windows Update. Unfortunately, only a few Ultimate Extras were ever released, these were as follows:
BitLocker Drive Preparation Tool - Prepared the hard drive to be encrypted with BitLocker.
Secure Online Key Backup - Enabled used to create an off-site backup of their BitLocker recovery password and Encrypting File System recovery certificates at Digital Locker, a feature of the short-lived Windows Marketplace digital distribution platform. Rendered unusable after Windows Marketplace shuttered it's doors in August 2009.
Multilingual User Interface language packs
- Vista's language architecture separated the resources for the UI for the binary code of the OS. A total of 36 language packs were released to Windows Vista Ultimate users.
Microsoft Tinker - a puzzle video game where players must navigate a robot through mazes and obstacles through 60 levels. There was also a level editor released as well for players to create their own levels. This game was rereleased on Microsoft's Games for Windows - Live platform as a digital only game with additional levels, but does not support the level editor.
Microsoft Hold 'Em - A card poker game that allowed player to play against five players, three levels of difficulty, and customize aspects of the game. Relies on DirectX to provide hardware-accelerated 3D animations and effects, and required a computer with a Windows Experience Index of 2.0 for optimal performance. Initially planned to be included in the main OS as part of the premium games (Purple Place, Chess Titans, & Mahjong Titans) included in the Home Premium and Ultimate editions, due to it's gambling themes, it was released as an Ultimate Extra instead.
Windows sound schemes - A total of three sound schemes were released. They were Ultimate Extras Glass, Ultimate Extras Pearl, and Microsoft Tinker. The first two were released on April 28, 2008, while the latter was released on the day Tinker was released. The three sound schemes are similar to the Default sound scheme of Windows Vista, as they were also developed in accordance with the design language and principles of the Windows Aero graphical user interface.
Windows DreamScene - a utility that used MPEG and WMV to be displayed as desktop backgrounds. Required the Windows Aero graphical user interface to be enabled in order to function due to it's reliance on Desktop Windows Manager.
Ultimate Extras wallpapers - Two set of wallpapers were released titled Start and Strands. These were based on the retail packaging of Windows Vista Ultimate and were released in three different display resolutions.
Microsoft planned to release additional Ultimate Extras for Windows Vista Ultimate users, but these were ultimately never released, never came into fruition, or were cancelled during development. What features these unreleased Ultimate Extras would have had is completely unknown. These unreleased Ultimate Extras were:
A podcast creation application - was likely for users to create their own podcasts or a playlist of their favorite podcasts.
A game performance optimization utility - was likely for users to optimize their Windows PC games, and was likely to compete against similar game optimizers on the market in the 2000s.
Custom Desktop Themes - likely meant to be Ultimate Extras-branded Desktop Themes, or for users to create their own desktop themes.
Exclusive access to online content and services - it's unknown what they could had looked like, but my guesses would be Microsoft offered content, Third-Party services that utilize Microsoft developed products & APIs (such as Windows Media products), or Ultimate Extras-related services.
Windows Movie Maker effects and transitions - likely Ultimate Extras-branded effects and transitions exclusive to Windows Vista Ultimate users.
Templates for Windows DVD Maker - likely Ultimate Extras-branded templates exclusive to Windows Vista Ultimate users.
Digital Publications - it's unknown what they could had looked like, but my guesses would be Microsoft products, Windows development & support, or Ultimate Extras-related publications.
Group Shot photo manipulation application developed by Microsoft Research - this was shown by Bill Gates at the 2007 Consumer Electronics Show, what features it would have had is rather unknown.
Windows Ultimate Extras were unfortunately short-lived and were discontinued with Windows 7, and are uninstalled when upgrading from Windows Vista Ultimate to Windows 7 Ultimate if they were installed from Windows Update.
