Some versions of Ares work perfectly with most computer setups and most operating systems. Others have some problems with particular software combinations. Ares Vista attempts to address these issues before they become a problem. Ares Vista has been developed specifically to work seamlessly with the increased security measures present in Windows' Vista release: while some applications insist you turn of essential parts of Vista's security suite, Ares Vista works with the operating system, meaning you don't need to compromise your security to enjoy file sharing. Naturally Ares Vista works just as well with other operating systems, too.



What we liked
Naturally working seamlessly with Vista's enhanced security is a big plus, and that alone is probably enough to persuade you to download this version. There are other nice features, too, and these might just help you complete the decision-making process. We particularly like Ares Vista's user interface – say what you like about Microsoft, but you've got to agree that their sexy, sleek looks of Vista really add to the user experience. Ares Vista share these handsome looks and while, ultimately, it adds nothing to the competency of the programme behind the looks, it does help to look at something aesthetically pleasing while you organise your music downloads. Organisation of media files – and the ability to categorise media by type – make Ares Vista a natural choice for users who like to keep their collections under the tight rein of a well organised system.



What we didn't like
There isn't much to dislike about Ares Vista (and that comes from experienced users). One thing we noticed was that the 'intelligent' optimisation of bandwidth uses sometimes causes some odd results: files lower down our lists were being given priority over those above them. We accept that this is a feature, rather than bug – and indeed we have no doubt that our bandwidth was being optimised to the full – but it seemed counter-intuitive to us to see files higher on our lists being neglected.
For these reasons, we highly recommend Ares Vista.