Vista Interface Divided into Five Tiers, WEI System Revealed

Microsoft has included a tool called Windows Performance Rating in the test version of the next generation Vista operating system, providing consumers with an assessment of how well their system supports Vista, and dividing its performance into five levels. However, Microsoft has never provided a detailed explanation of what the numerical values of the Windows Performance Rating signify. Finally, Microsoft has released the latest guidelines, detailing the significance of the Windows Performance Rating and officially renaming it to Windows Experience Index.

Microsoft believes that the name Windows Performance Rating could mislead consumers about the meaning of its numerical values. It is not a benchmarking tool and cannot reflect the overall performance of the system; it can only evaluate how well the system runs Vista. Therefore, renaming it to Windows Experience Index is more appropriate.