Arbitron Software and Microsoft Windows Vista™

This page is dedicated to providing you with information regarding Arbitron software and Windows Vista, Microsoft’s newest operating system.

Windows XP Professional Remains
the Recommended Operating System

Arbitron recommends that clients who plan to purchase a new computer have it installed with Microsoft Windows XP Professional. See the helpful purchasing hints in the FAQ section regarding purchasing a computer with Windows XP Professional.

Arbitron began testing its programs on Windows Vista in mid-2006. That process continues and is expected to run throughout 2007. So far many programs have required little or no changes to accommodate Windows Vista; others will require significant code changes to work with Windows Vista.

Whether or not an Arbitron program will be Windows Vista compatible will be handled on a case-by-case basis. Please check the Application Summary at the bottom of the page for a program-by-program summary.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Why are you not making all programs Windows Vista compatible?

Arbitron is in the process of streamlining its software offerings. This will allow us to offer our clients a simplified approach to software and funnel the “best of” features from multiple applications into fewer, yet more powerful, programs. As part of this process, some programs will be retired in the near future. Putting effort into programs with short shelf lives takes away from the opportunity to bring new, exciting and requested features to our clients.

We also factored into our decision the pace of Windows Vista acceptance in the business community. History has shown that business users are typically slower adopters of a new Microsoft operating system. It’s very possible that some of our programs with short shelf lives will be retired before Windows Vista is the business community’s operating system of choice. See the Application Summary for program-specific information.

 

I thought all new computers only came with Windows Vista. How can I get a new computer with Windows XP?

 

What application versions will be supported?

All applications that become Windows Vista compatible will be compatible with the Windows Vista Business version.

Regarding Windows Vista Ultimate and Windows Vista Enterprise:

What versions will not be supported in any applications?

At this point we do not plan to support:

Although Arbitron applications may run on these unsupported versions of Windows Vista, Arbitron will not offer telephone or on-site support for issues that arise due to operating system incompatibility. Users who load or run an Arbitron application on either of these operating systems do so at their own risk.

Where can I get additional information on the different versions of Windows Vista?

http://www.microsoft.com/windows/products/windowsvista/editions/default.mspx

Why aren’t you supporting the home editions of Windows Vista?

Arbitron applications are designed to perform on business computers and operating systems. As implied by their names, Windows Vista Basic and Windows Vista Home Premium Editions are not designed for business purposes.

Application Summary:

Product (listed alphabetically) Is the most recent version Windows Vista compatible? Will this product be Windows Vista compatible? If so, when and in what version? Notes
ArbitrendsSM No known issues at this time. Not yet fully tested. Yes v. 2.1 (mid-2008)  
IRSSM (RETIRED) Appears to run in Windows XP mode. Not yet fully tested. Yes  v. 6.0 (late 2007)  
MapMAKER DirectSM (RETIRED) No known issues at this time. Yes v. 6.5 Releases 7/07 Help files require a patch. Special install instructions when using a Windows Vista network.
Maximi$er® No known issues at this time. Not yet fully tested. TBD v. 10.4 Releases 7/07 Help files require a patch. Special install instructions when using a Windows Vista network.
MediaMasterSM Unknown. Not fully tested. TBD    
PD Advantage® No known issues at this time. Not yet fully tested. TBD   Testing and evaluation forthcoming.
PPM Analysis Tool™ No known issues at this time. Not yet fully tested. Yes TBD  
PPM Weeklies™ No known issues at this time. Not yet fully tested. Yes TBD  
QualitapSM Yes, v. 10.0 (for Windows Vista Business only). Yes   Support for additional versions of Windows Vista to be added in a future release.
RADAR® Unknown. Not fully tested. Yes Possibly as early as RADAR 95 (December 2007)  
Tapscan Unknown. Not fully tested. Yes v. 9.7 (July 2007) Not recommended to load on a Windows Vista machine at this point.
Tapscan Custom CoverageSM Yes. v. 3.2 Yes    
TrafficLink® Yes. v. 4.0 Yes    

Windows Vista Version Summary:

If a program will be made Vista compatible, the table below shows which version(s) of Vista will be supported. Please see the Application Summary table regarding the Vista compatibility status for a given application.

Application Windows Vista Basic Windows Home Premium Windows Vista Business Windows Vista Ultimate Windows Vista Enterprise
Arbitrends No No Yes No No
IRS (RETIRED) No No Yes No No
MapMAKER Direct (RETIRED) No No Yes No No
Maximi$er No No Yes No No
MediaMaster No No TBD No No
PD Advantage No No TBD No No
PPM Analysis Tool No No Yes No No
PPM Weeklies No No Yes No No
Qualitap No No Yes Yes Yes
RADAR No No Yes No No
Tapscan No No Yes No No
Tapscan Custom Coverage No No Yes No No
TrafficLink No No Yes No No

Additional Support

Additional support is available from Arbitron Customer Support at 1-800-543-7300.

Windows Vista™ is a trademark of Microsoft Corporation.