Windows Ultimate Extras

Microsoft released a total of nine Ultimate Extras for Windows Vista Ultimate users. BitLocker and EFS enhancements The BitLocker Drive Preparation Tool utility and the Secure Online Key Backup utility were among the first Ultimate Extras to be made available, and were released to coincide with the general retail availability of Windows Vista. BitLocker Drive Preparation Tool prepares the hard drive to be encrypted with BitLocker, whereas Secure Online Key Backup enabled users to create an off-site backup of their BitLocker recovery password and Encrypting File System recovery certificates at Digital Locker, as part of the Windows Marketplace digital distribution platform. Secure Online Key Backup was rendered inoperable after Digital Locker shut down in August 2009. Multilingual User Interface language packs Unlike previous versions of Windows, Windows Vista is language-independent; the language architecture separates the language resources for the user interface from the binary code of the operating system. Support for installing additional languages is included in the Enterprise and Ultimate editions of Windows Vista. In the Ultimate edition, the functionality is made available through Windows Update as Ultimate Extras. Microsoft stated that 16 languages were made available on January 30, 2007. The company released the remaining language packs on October 23, 2007 for a total of 35 language packs. An additional 36th language pack version is available for Windows Vista that supports traditional Chinese characters with the Hong Kong Supplementary Character Set. Microsoft Tinker Microsoft Tinker is a puzzle game made available on September 23, 2008 where players must navigate a robot through mazes and obstacles. A total of 60 levels are included, and players can create their own levels with a level editor. ''Hold 'Em'' ''Hold 'Em (formerly Windows Poker as in build 5284) is a poker card game released on January 29, 2007 Hold 'Em'' allows users to play against up to five computer players and up to three levels of difficulty, and also allows users to customize aspects of the game's appearance; For optimal performance, ''Hold 'Em requires a computer with a Windows Experience Index rating of 2.0 or higher. while the latter was made available on September 23, 2008 to coincide with the release of Microsoft Tinker''. Windows DreamScene Windows DreamScene enables MPEG and WMV videos to be displayed as desktop backgrounds. Windows Aero must be enabled for Windows DreamScene due to requiring the Desktop Window Manager to display videos on the desktop. Proposed extras Proposed Windows Ultimate Extras included a downloadable podcast creator, a game performance optimizer, exclusive access to online content, Despite not being considered Windows Ultimate Extras, the Windows Ultimate Extras team additionally released two wallpapers (Start and Strands) based on the Windows Vista Ultimate retail packaging and intended for Windows Vista Ultimate users; the wallpapers were made available in three different display resolutions. ==Critical reception==

Reaction to Windows Ultimate Extras was mixed. While Microsoft was praised for creating a value proposition for users who purchased the most expensive edition of Windows Vista, the company was criticized for its delays during delivery of updates, perceived lack of quality of delivered updates, and a lack of transparency regarding their development. Early on, there were concerns that the features would not live up to users' expectations. After months without an official update since January, Microsoft released an apology for the delays, stating that it intended to ship the remaining features before the end of summer of 2007. Microsoft was also criticized for changing the description for Ultimate Extras within the operating system. The offerings slated to be made available were initially described as "cutting-edge programs," "innovative services," and "unique publications," but the description for the features within the Control Panel applet was later modified in Windows Vista Service Pack 1 to be more modest; this was interpreted as an attempt made by the company to avoid fulfilling prior expectations. Emil Protalinski of Ars Technica wrote that the Ultimate edition of Windows Vista "would have looked just fine without the joke that is 'Ultimate Extras'" and that the features were supposed to provide an incentive for consumers to purchase that edition, "not give critics something to point and laugh at." In the second part of his review of Windows 7, Peter Bright of Ars Technica wrote that "the value proposition of the Ultimate Extras was nothing short of piss-poor." Bright would later criticize Microsoft's decision not to release Internet Explorer 10 for Windows Vista, but would go on to state that this was still "not as bad as the Ultimate Extras farce." ==See also==