Windows 2000 PC with 512 MB of RAM Running Windows Vista

I think that we all agree that a Windows 2000 ready computer is nothing more than a piece of junk, considering the standards associated with today's hardware. And what good is a piece of junk? Well, you can throw it away, or you can run Windows Vista on it. Now you have to keep in mind that Microsoft's latest operating system is a resource hog. Vista's hardware requirements are extensive, and the operating system will suck every last bit of horsepower you pour into it. The fact of the matter is that the recommended system configuration for Vista includes "1 GHz 32-bit (x86) or 64-bit (x64) processor, 1 GB of system memory, 40 GB hard drive with at least 15 GB of available space, Support for DirectX 9 graphics with: WDDM Driver; 128 MB of graphics memory (minimum); Pixel Shader 2.0 in hardware and 32 bits per pixel."

And keep in mind that these are just the recommended system requirements. You can always go all out with a dual core processor, 4+ GB of RAM and high-end over the top dual graphics cards. Such a scenario will enable you to benefit from the best Windows Vista experience possible. Still, Microsoft also has a list of minimum system requirements for its latest operating system, and it involves only a "1 GHz 32-bit (x86) or 64-bit (x64) processor, 512 MB of system memory, 20 GB hard drive with at least 15 GB of available space and support for DirectX 9 graphics and 32 MB of graphics memory."

But can Vista really run on a Windows 2000 ready machine? Well, Tim Sneath, Group Manager for Client Platforms over at Microsoft offered just such a demonstration on On10Net, with a machine powered by an Intel Pentium 4 processor and just 512 of RAM, and a "splendid" GeForce 2 graphics card. In Vista, the computer manages to account for a Windows Experience Index base score of just 1.0. But it can be done, if you want to exercise your masochistic tendencies and run Vista Home Basic on a configuration featuring nothing short of the absolute minimum system requirements. And Windows Vista ReadyBoost seems to come in handy.