is 2gb of ram

And I remember mainframe computers that were considered huge because they had 2 gb of mass storage. Times have changed and now it takes 2 gb just to start the damn thing.

Its actually a very good question WRT Vista. A friend of mine (one of the few I have left) bought a new Vista machine spec'd with 4Gb or RAM. The BIOS detected 4Gb, but Vista could only see 2Gb. So, in this case, 2Gb IS just as good as 4Gb.
Your answer should have been, "If you've bought Vista, you are too stupid to own a computer".

I assume this is 32 bit Vista. It should see 4G, so something is wrong.

Of course not. More is more up to a point. Photoshop for sure can get more RAM in a 4Gbyte environment, though note that it is a 32 bit program. I think photoshop will use about 3.2Gbytes of RAM under 32 bit windows.
The link above is the roadmap.
I run X64, so I can't speak for the cheap 32 bit vista, but they claim it does 4G. Note that you need a motherboard capable of loading all it's resources into the high part of RAM. This is generally called a memory remap.
For a new machine, you should get 64 bit vista and use 8Gbytes. More mobos can do 16Gbtyes, but that is getting expensive.
On my 4Gbyte PC (a few years old, so 4G cost money), I have about 1.4Gbytes free. I have Firefox is by far the biggest memory hog running. Google earth is next.

Yes, you are full of it. I'll bet you even have brown eyes.
You think that's funny? Its pathetic.
Do you expect the average user to do that? Even when you strip away the crap for them, they quickly install enough third party crap to bring it back to its knees. I spent most of the Christmas holiday cleaning up the computers for a local business. They were clean a few months ago, and some have a hundred browser plug ins and other memory wasters. They take a larger hard drive as a challenge to fill it up.
WHICH Vista? There are too many fragmented versions.
Sure there will. Just add concrete. I used embedded NT in the Microdyne RCB2000 series Telemetry systems. It, and all software ran from an M-Disk 40 MB solid state hard drive and 32 MB of DIMM DRAM. It booted and ran in about 15 seconds. XP would take several minutes, and Vista would take 15.
Sigh. Most embedded systems have abandoned Windows altogether. 95% of the bells and whistles in Windows get in the way of doing any actual work.
You are projecting your own limitations on others. I suppose you're another of those "My IQ is 154!" types that show up on SED. You are the typical computer user idiot who thinks they know every situation.

answers to your pathetic post are inline
I don't like the sound of this... it sounds to me as racist... No I have green eyes. If you are referring to shit content.. your blood has been replaced with shit!
So it's a good way to make some extra money, you pathetic computer sweeper you! You always like to see the bad side of things!
All vista is crap... there is not much difference
Have you heard of minwin you dope? No? Its actually windows7! They cant let that part of the market slip away... Microsoft knows this... And the answer is windows7!
Who said I love windows?
Actually now that you brought it up, I have more than that.
I didn't say I know everything, but I did say you are a moron!

Hey... don't try to copy my tradmark
which is
"vista is stupid" T
and "if you like vista, then you are stupid" T

With SP1 then vista (aka the crap OS of all space and time) detects the existence of 4, but normally uses around 3.3 gb

1.5 years ago, I was assembling a gaming computer. 1GB of RAM was enough for gaming, in my opinion. But I put 2 GB just in case, as memory was relatively cheap. I have never used full 2GB of memeory in my use of the computer yet. I do not run Vista, I have XP.

Some of the address space is used for memory mapped hardware. I don't think I've seen more than about 3G available in a system with 4G RAM and a 32-bit O/S.
I am hoping that 64-bit Windows 7 will be available relatively soon, since I'm running into RAM limitations, and I'd like to dedicate a fairly fast machine with 32G or so of RAM to running such programs (and avoid Vista64-- already seen a ton of problems with running XP64 general purpose, hence the dedicated machine). A fast machine with 32G of RAM is still cheap compared to some of the engineering softare (Matlab, FEA, CFD type stuff).
Best regards, Spehro Pefhany

how will you achieve 32 gb ram?
my mobo has 4 slots and I can find only 2 gig chips

Just as I suspected, another moron with a shit fetish. You really need to meet 'dimbulb'. You two could be twins.
Actually, I am a 100% disabled US Army Veteran who repair computers for free to keep busy a few hours a week, so there goes more of your half-vast ignorance out on the floor for everyone to walk around. In fact, sometimes it costs me money to help others. Some people aren't greed driven, as you appear to be.
No, I like to see things work the way they were designed. I was a broadcast engineer in both radio & Television. I wanted zero downtime, and did my best to see that it happened. All spare equipment was ready to use, and preventive maintenance went off like clockwork. I did some RADAR work in the military. I also worked with microwave communications and weather instrumentation.
At my last job before becoming disabled, I worked on the designs of Telemetry & communications systems for NASA, NOAA, the ESA, and the ISS. I worked in all segments including the embedded controllers, the RF, DSP based IF and video filters, and approved a lot of the components for the projects. I wrote test procedures, and a lot of ECOs before the design was ready for production.
Do you have any idea how it felt to hear, "We have lost Telemetry" when we lost the last shuttle? It was like being kicked in the stomach. The shuttle was being tracked from multiple ground locations with redundant equipment that I had worked on. I knew that it was impossible for it to be a complete and simultaneous failure at multiple ground locations. At that instant I knew what was happening, but wishing such an equipment failure was possible.
Where did I say it wasn't? Pay attention. You must be one of those attention deficit MTV watching losers.
Vaporware is never the answer. Until it ships and is shown to work, its just more marketing BS, like their 'Mojave' BS. In fact, it may never ship. It wouldn't be the first time microsoft changed direction and renumbered or renamed a product.
Once again, you aren't paying attention. It wasn't me.
Sure you do Why, I'll bet its 666! So high that they had to write a new IQ test, just for you. I suppose you not only belong to Mensa, but are the president egghead as well. What have you ever done with your huge IQ other than trash talk?
Which shows that you don't know what you are talking about. Also, you never answered my questions about the other computer busses, and how much memory they can use.

You wont get my sympathy because you are disabled or a veteran. I will treat you like any other idiot.
In The problem is that you are trying to help only a few at a time... try to help 1000 at a time then come back and we will talk..
Greed? Oh yes I am greedy for knowledge but money is only a vehicle to do good... and that's how I use it. In order to do much good, you need many things, and money is the best way to get to them.
That is the proper view of seeing wealth, only those who have can give and keep giving.
From your statement you seem to have a problem with money...
I used to be like that.. but I changed.. here is something wise for you:
"It is a sin to be poor... It is the duty of every person to be rich." - George Bernard Shaw
Challenger accident was probably caused by lack of funding to do the proper adaptations and checks needed.
The shuttle technology should have been replaced by then anyway.. The whole thing sticks from the head..
I don't have an idea.. but this is not the worse thing that has happened to people you know.... its just that cameras were pointed there... and this magnifies the tragedy... there are millions of children dying from simple diseases and malnourishment that no one seems to care about. No camera there to record their deaths though... I think those kids would prefer to go up in a big bang than die slowly.
we basically agree on everything, the only problem is that I wont be kind to you, and you don't like that.. so we are fighting just for the hell of it. Don't misinterpret my insults as lack of sympathy.
It might be, but if it is Microsoft will have just created its own tombstone and dug its grave. Windows7 has to work.. or else microsoft the giant will fall with a big thump.
Sorry can you post the questions again, they were lost among all that crap you were posting. I would be more than happy to explain everything to you.
:-)

Sigh. Such a small mind, and so much hatred.
You are the idiot. You continue to show proof of that. I spend all my available time doing charitable work. Most of the time when I am online, I have a computer or two on the bench behind me doing a test, or installing software. Why don't you spend years confined to bed, then slowly recover from over a dozen medical problems, then get back to me? That is, if you survive. With your sorry attitude, I give you about a 5% chance.
Greedy? Then you're one of the SOBs responsible for the current economic meltdown. As far as knowledge, I continue to study electronics, even though the VA has told me I will never be able to work again.
I always used hard work with whatever cash was at hand. I didn't need greed. I started a successful business with $20 in 1970, and over half that was spent on the business license. I never advertised the business, yet it grew to more work than I could handle. I couldn't find competent help. Only greedy morons who wanted to take shortcuts on the materials & workmanship.
I have TIME. Sometimes that is worth more than money.
Actually, no I don't. I pay all my bills on time, I have never owned a credit card, and my house will soon be paid off. My truck is paid off and I have a nice place to live with a fairly good collection of tools and over 1000 books in my library.
A lame, meaningless quote from a second rate hack is the best you can do?
'Rich' isn't always about material things. Apparently you are so wrapped up in the need for money that it has blinded you to life's pleasures.
Like I said, you have absolutely no idea. The Challenger was the FIRST shuttle lost.
What cameras? Columbia disintegrated during reentry and was scattered across several states.
World's smallest violin. See it? People have been trying to help for generations, but they have come to expect handouts. Billions have bee given in aid, wells drilled, farming tools and seeds for crops, and what do they do? They won't do the simple maintenance they were taught for the pumps or farm equipment. They eat the seed, instead of planting it, because someone else will do the hard work for them or bring more food. They continue to have more kids than they can support, because they were too lazy to take the birth control pills. Some African women even made necklaces out of them. They insist in living in some of the least suitable places on earth, while they starve their kids and themselves to death. Ample proof that you can't fix stupid.
Now you are a mind reader?
You are nothing more than a gnat on the ass of the universe. I don't care what you think of me. Its obvious you don't think much of yourself, or anyone else.
50 years from now: Anyone remember Microsoft? Crickets. More crickets. Still more crickets...............................
Does anyone care? Crickets. More crickets. Still more crickets...............................
I'll give you a really easy one. How much memory can you use in a system bassed on the Exorcisor buss?
Sure you will. With more stupid quotes from Shaw?

Many of the LGA 1366 boards support 24G now (triple channel, 6 slots), but DDR3 memory 4G isn't widely available yet. Give it a few more months.
Best regards, Spehro Pefhany

"The Journey is the reward" It might be an AMD thing, but the mobo vendors spec slower RAM if you really stuff it. I built a linux system out of a quad core AMD using an Asus M3N78 PRO with 8 Gbytes. I don't do any graphics on the system, so I used the on board video and it steals about a Gbyte. I think when the dust settles, I get about 6.5G. I have an app that uses about 5G. Anyway, past 4G they suggested slower RAM, probably due to capacitance issues.
I believe Intel puts the memory controller in the chipset, while AMD puts it in the CPU. So I don't know if Intel can handle more ram without a slow down, but it would be worth checking out.

Hey Micheal
calm down...
I was not talking seriously... but I didn't really want to aggravate you...
I thought you would catch on that I was just teasing you.
forgive me if I have made you mad of feel bad in any way...
You are a good man, and don't let anyone put you down...not even me.
I am not an insensitive idiot, although I can understand why you might believe that... since you had only these post to go along with.
Keep doing what you are doing... and I will be honest, that I wish there were more people like you around
have a nice new year...

Something to do with the chipset the MoBo uses, according to the PC manufacturer. Even motherboards need their own drivers, not all of which Vista supports properly.

Give that man a cigar, for he knoweth.