The flashy features introduced into Windows Vista will deliver a heavy impact on the notebook battery life. In this regard, Windows Vista will consume extra power compared with its predecessor, Windows XP. A consistent decrease in battery life is equivalent to a loss in flexibility and portability for the users that are accustomed with the performances of Windows XP.

The only work around for this is that users sacrifice the visual effects in Vista for increased functionality. Disabling the graphical features of the operating system will decrease battery power drainage.

"Vista demands more computer resources for a given application than XP does. So you need a heavier battery, or you will have shorter battery life because of the greater demand for watts," explained Phil Hester, chief technology officer of Advanced Micro Devices.

"If Vista is run in full Aero mode, with none of the Vista-provided power management settings turned on, it is likely to demand more power, and have an impact on battery life," revealed Dell spokesman Ira Williams. "That said, if you run Vista in battery-optimized mode using a non-3D interface, we would not expect the battery life to be significantly different from XP in that scenario."

Microsoft however downplayed the impact that the high-end processors, graphic cards, and increased memory capacity necessary to run Vista will have on the power consumption.

"Although it is true that the Windows Vista Aero theme and components can use more resources than previous versions of Windows, the relative impact to battery life is minimal," says Microsoft spokesperson Kristin Farmer. "Microsoft is working with device manufacturers to ensure their device drivers are optimally tuned for performance and power savings. We recognize that battery life isn't just a Microsoft issue and involves our partner's decisions as well."

Microsoft added in Windows Vista an array of battery saving settings based on an evolved power saving mechanism when compared to Windows XP. Vista users can diminish the power consumption by managing screen brightness, volume, wireless networking, and other settings of the operating system.