Ready For the Business Desktop
Written: Aug 01 '04 (Updated Aug 01 '04)
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Product Rating:
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Pros: True 32 bit, multi-tasking, multi-thread, OS for the business market. Rich vibrant interface; robust networking.
Cons: Massive use of hard drive real estate.
The Bottom Line: Windows XP Pro is a culmination of Microsoft’s years of experience with Windows 9xx, and Windows NT/2000, and a welcome upgrade which finally bring true 32-bit computing to the masses.
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| vemartin's Full Review: Microsoft Windows XP Professional (E85-00086) For ... |
Cautiously The Bard approached the new Operating System (OS), but approach it he did, for inside it soft smooth multi-colored exterior were promises of untold wonders and delights to be had by those brave enough to wade into untried waters. Images of people flying through the air, effortless wired & wireless connections, seamless movie making, and hours of MP3 listening pleasure spurned The Bardon. Deeper and deeper into the Windows XP Professional forest The Bardcrept encountering—surprise, surprise—no niggling blue screens with strange letters and numbers along the path to true blissful 32 bit computing. The lack of blue screen delighted The Bard to no end and on he journeyed deeper into the interior of the forest marveling at the bright colors and sharp images he viewed at every turn. And then it happened; nirvana, enlightenment, happiness, and joy; the OS was installed. The last of the old drivers were vanquished and the OS remained true and finally delivered on the promise Microsoft had been tangling before our misty eyes for half a decade: 32 bit multi-treaded, multi-tasked computing for the masses.
Microsoft® Windows XP Professional as we all know by now—unless of course you’ve been sleeping under a rock, or hiding out under a mountain—is the company’ next generation direct replacement for Windows 2000 Professional the premiere business OS which introduced quasi 32bit computing to the desktop. I say quasi because there were still some—not a lot, but some㬌 bit elements in Windows 2000 Professional. Windows XP Pro discards all the old DOS, 16-bit Windows code that has been part of every release of Windows since the release of Windows 95 up to and including Windows (Me). Of course anyone in the business knows that true 32 bit computing has been around for a while in the guise of IBM’ OS/2 Warp platform, but that is the subject of another review; now with the release of Windows XP Pro true 32-bit computing has come to the mainstream business environment.
The Windows XP family comes in four distinct versions:
• Windows XP Professional
• Windows XP Home Edition
• Windows XP Tablet Edition
• Windows XP Media Center Edition
The System:
I have installed Windows XP Pro on literally hundreds of systems (desktop and laptop) from Dell, MPC, Toshiba, HP and Compaq, as well as systems that I have custom built for myself and clients. For this review I will confine myself to discussing the installation of Windows XP Pro on my personal workstation at home.
The computer I chose to install Windows XP Pro on is my primary workstation and is also the gateway I use to gain access to the Internet via DSL. It has two Network Interface Cards (NIC) installed, one of which interfaces with the DSL gateway, and the other communicates with my home network. So it was essential that the install of Windows XP Pro proceed as smoothly as possible; it did to my great relief and delight. Below is my system specifications compared to Microsoft’s recommended system minimums to run Windows XP Pro:
My System:
• PC with Intel Pentium 2.4 gigahertz (GHz) processor, with 133 megahertz (MHz) Frontside Bus (FSB) speed.
• 2.0 Gigabytes (GB) of DDR333 PC2700 RAM.
• (1) 120GB Ultra ATA100 hard drive (C: partition: 10.0GB of available space).
• (1) 20GB ATA66 hard drive.
• View Sonic 19” color monitor with max resolution of 1600x1200.
• (1) Plextor PlexWrite PX-W5224TA CD-RW drive
• (1) HP 9900ci CD-ROM/CD-RW/DVD dive.
• HP Officejet D135 multi-function printer.
• Broadcom NetXtream Gigabit Ethernet NIC
• Linksys WUSB-54 Wireless Network Interface Card (USB)
• (3) IEEE 1394 Firewire Connections
• (10) USB Version 2.0 Connections
• Microsoft Multi-Media 101 Key US keyboard & Microsoft Optical mouse.
Microsoft recommended minimum requirements:
• PC with 300 megahertz (MHz) or higher processor clock speed recommended; 233-MHz minimum required; Intel Pentium/Celeron family, AMD K6/Athlon/Duron family, or compatible processor recommended.
• 128 megabytes (MB) of RAM or higher recommended (64 MB minimum supported; may limit performance and some features).
• 1.5 gigabyte (GB) of available hard disk space.
• Super VGA (800 × 600) or higher resolution video adapter and monitor.
• CD-ROM or DVD drive.
• Keyboard and Microsoft Mouse or compatible pointing device.
As you can see, my system, although custom built, exceeds by a wide margin the Microsoft recommended minimums for a Windows XP Pro PC.
Before the Install:
I did a fair amount of research (professional and Microsoft Knowledgebase & White Papers), before I installed Windows XP Pro in order to minimize headaches during the process. I succeeded, and I experienced no problems with the install. Drivers for Windows XP are universal; i.e. they cover both OS’s, however, I did download the latest drivers for all of the hardware I installed in the computer. It is also a good idea to have your partition strategy mapped out—if using a larger drive—before beginning the install process, if a fresh install is what you have in mind.
Plan on installing Windows XP Pro onto a partition no smaller then 10GB all by itself; 5Gb is as small as I would recommend going. If you install the OS on the recommended minimum partition size, you will all too soon run out of available space. Windows XP Pro needs a lot of room to grow, and even on 10GB partitions I have to keep an eye on the space the OS is consuming.
Be aware that “dirty” memory can cause the OS to “blue-screen” during installation; it is wise to make sure you purchase hardware items that are on Microsoft’s Hardware Compatibility List (HAL).
The Installation:
The install process was smooth; I recommend installing to a fresh drive and or partition. Upgrading from Windows 2000 (an in-place install) should be avoided if possible. Windows XP Pro can be installed on a FAT32 or NTFS file partition.
Note: if you want to take advantage of the enhanced file & folder security features of Windows XP Pro in conjunction with Windows NT/2000/2003, the OS must be installed on an NTFS partition. If you install the OS on a FAT32 partition, you can later convert it to NTFS without lose of data, however converting back to FAT32 will result in lose of all data on the partition, so plan wisely.
After answering a few questions in the beginning of the install process, most related to hard disk partitioning, the rest of the installation process was cake walk; set it and forget it until it’s done. After rebooting the OS a couple of times, barring any unforeseen problems, such as incompatible hardware, or software, the process took a little under an hour to complete.
First Impressions:
After the installation was complete I registered and activated the OS immediately via the internet. I found the process quick and painless and not the least bit intrusive; I guess I am not one for conspiracies behind every bush. And besides, the only information sent was hardware specifications, no detailed information about me or computer usage patterns were sent to Microsoft.
Side Note about activation: For those of you worried about making major changes to your hardware, or heaven forbid you have to re-install the Windows XP from scratch (as I have done on numerous occasions), you will be able to activate the software anew. I have done scratch install of Windows XP Pro from the original disc and had to activate the software again, and the process went off without a hitch. I did not have to call, but used the same procedure as when I first activated the OS.
I like Windows XP Pro, in fact I love it! Anyone familiar with Windows 2000 should feel somewhat at home with Windows XP Pro. A three fingered salute (Crtl + Alt + Del) will bring up a greatly improved Task Manager wherein the system parameters (CPU, memory, & Page-File usage) & processes, network usage & throughput, applications in use, can be monitored. I might add that this is far more information than Windows 2000 Task Manager. Specific applications can also be terminated from this handy little applet, which when maximized always sit on top of other open applications.
Windows 2000 Professionalusers will also be at home with the services section under control panel/administrative tools (Administrative Tools is a set of applets from which detailed system information can be obtained).
A quick note about Windows Services: Services are Windows applets that run in the back ground independent of regular applications. Each runs in its own memory space and they perform duties vital to the proper functioning of the OS; e.g. the Event Log which tracks system and application errors and warning is a service. So too is Help & Support, and the Plug & Play functionality of Windows XP. Unless you know what you are doing, or know what the service does, the services applets should be left alone.
Under The Hood
For corporate Windows 95/98 users Windows XP Pro is a must have and even diehard Win NT/2000 users take a look. In addition to 32-bit computing Windows XP Pro also features powerful Remote Assistance tools, robust networking, user-friendly administrative controls, and enhanced security. The OS combines the best features of Windows 2000 Professional (stability, and better use of system resources) in a more easier-to-utilize interface. Some of the new highlights:
• Support for up to (2) Processors.
• Support for up to 4GB of RAM.
• Support for hard drive with up to 137GB (Windows XP SP1 will support hard drive larger than 137GB 48-bit Logical Block Addressing support for ATAPI disk drives. (see Microsoft Knowledge Base Article 303013).
• Redesigned User Interface.
• Enhanced Internet Connection Sharing.
• Enhanced support for connect to 802.11b/g wireless networks. (support for Bluetooth Personal Area Networks {PAN} is limited).
• New Internet firewall.
• Web cookie controller.
• CD-creation software (licensed from Roxio).
• PPPoE (Point-to-Point Protocol over Ethernet) support for use with ADSL (Asymmetric Digital Subscriber Line) connections.
• File and settings transfer wizard designed to transfer files between your old PC and new.
• Remote Desktop Connection (Terminal Services client).
• Support for multiple display monitors.
Where Have All the Icons Gone?
The most staggering change the Windows XP Prois the revised user interface. Microsoft radically reduces iconic disorder on the desktop by totally eliminating all icons, except the Recycle Bin. By default, My Computer and program icons no longer appear on the desktop with a default installation. The Start menu, and Taskbar also get the minimalist treatment. This new design might have been Microsoft’s attempt to make Windows less confusing to beginners, but I think it has the opposite effect; even beginners want to see something on the desktop to work with. To get the icons (My Documents, My Computer, My Network Places, & Internet Explorer) to appear, you have to right-click on the desktop, click Properties, click the Desktop tap, and then the Customized Desktop radio button. If you do an upgrade on top of an older Windows installation however, your icons will make an appearance once the install is complete.
This new look and feel has been translated throughout the OS; Internet Explorer emulates this new look and the result is striking. Web pages stand out and are much more vibrant and rich then before, while maintaining the soft look throughout. You can now choose to have menu’s slide into view; a nice touch I like a lot. The default Windows XP Pro is a soft blue with a green Start button in the bottom left hand corner.
If you are an old salt and prefer the look of Windows 2000 Professional, you can revert to the classic Windows interface. But you might want to stick with the stock screen; it now includes neon colors for the taskbar and application title bars, with rounded three dimensional, multicolored buttons for the Start menu and the Minimize, Maximize, and Close buttons on the title bars. Rarely used system tray icons can be hidden either manually or automatically (annoying) in order to promote reduced visual clutter. Font and text clarity and sharpness are enhanced by Microsoft's ClearType technology not only on LCD monitors, but on flat screen displays as well. The Windows XP ProStart menu sports a new two-column design that reduces the clutter that plagued earlier versions of Windows.
The right column lists My Documents, My Recent Documents, My Pictures, My Music, Favorites, Control Panel (which can de displayed as a link or menu), My Computer, My Network Places, Printers & Faxes, and other items that previously appeared in the bottom half of the old Windows Start Menu. The left column has boldfaced entries for the Internet and e-mail, at the top, which by default are set to Internet Explorer and Outlook Express / Outlook. Below these are entries to recently opened programs. Emblazoned across the top in the login name of the current user, and of course the menu can be customized. If you prefer the old menu, that can be arranged.
Over all I love the soft, smooth look and vibrant colors of Windows XP Pro! The three-dimensional, rounded, radio buttons make the eyes feel at home with the interface and the colors though rich and vibrant do not overwhelm the eyes. Because of this softness, fonts are easier on the eye as well, and I have noticed that my eyes are far less strained then under previous versions of Windows.
Networking: unlike Windows XP Home Edition, a computer running Windows XP Pro can join a Windows NT/2000/2003 domain, share network resources, and register itself with Active Directory.
Microsoft Internet Connection Sharing (ICS) has been improved to such a degree that the installation process is seamless and painless. You can set up ICS via a wizard in My Network Places entitled Set up a Home or Office Network. The wizard allows you to set up ICS, or set up the ICS firewall, share files and folders, or setup a shared printer. On the PC with the Internet connection, Windows XP Pro will add sharing protocols and a firewall to the NIC connected to the Internet and prompt you to make a diskette which can then be loaded onto the any PC’s in your home network you want to give Internet access to. I tried it; it worked the first time, which given my past experience with ICS, was delightfully surprising. So bottom line: I am happy!
Networking resources can be accessed via Control Panel/Network Connections, or by right clicking on the My Network Places on the desktop. Network resources are divided into Dial-up or LAN/High Speed icon. Unlike older version of Windows, the resources—NIC’s and protocols associated—are connection specific. For example I have two LAN connections: LAN Connection 1 and LAN Connection 2. When I right click on the connection icon and scroll to Properties, only the NIC and protocols associated with this connection are displayed instead of all the NIC’s and protocols currently installed on the system. Visually, this makes it much easier to navigate and trouble-shoot problems. And the options to do so are much more robust.
* Multitasking: Finally a true multitasking, multi-tread 32 bit OS for the masses is here! Not only can one use have multiple application running at once with, but other users can be logged on and have applications running as well. Switching between users is seamless and simple.
In theory since each application runs in its own memory space, a misbehaving application rarely brings down the entire OS; in real live this is not always the case. There will be times however, when an application so pollutes the OS with bad code that it will bring down the entire OS; this is especially true of application not explicitly written for Windows XP Pro. While I am not stating that older applications will not work under Windows XP Pro, I do advocate some experimentation if the OS become erratic and unstable.
I have found it useful to keep the multifunctional Task Manager open and minimized at all times, in order to track memory usage and processor throughput. I have found that as an average Windows XP Pro uses close to 200MB of Ram just by itself, with no other programs open, so I strongly recommend purchasing as much Ram as possible.
Service Pack 2 Release Candidate 2 (RC2)
From Microsoft: Microsoft continually works to improve its software. As part of this effort, we develop updates and fixes to recognized issues and release them for customers. On a regular basis, we combine many of these fixes into a single package and make the package available for you to install on your computers. These packages are called Service Packs.
If your computer runs on a Microsoft OS, Service Packs are a part of your life; there is no escaping them. While Service Pack usually introduce small under the hood type changes to the OS, Microsoft Service Pack 2 (SP2) for the Windows XP family of operating systems goes a step or two beyond. Much has been made of SP 2’s improved security throughout the OS, some of the pieces of which are visible to the user, other hidden deep within the core of Windows XP.
Microsoft SP2 for Windows XP was suppose to be released last year, but Microsoft has kept pushing back the release date in order to slip in last minute improvement and fix bugs. The new release date is, well, sometime this month. The Release Candidate is the final Beta release by Microsoft before the program itself is released. It can be downloaded from the company’s website at the following address: (http://www.microsoft.com/technet/prodtechnol/winxppro/maintain/sp2predl.mspx). This release is unsupported by Microsoft.
Microsoft Product Description: In Windows XP Service Pack 2, Microsoft is introducing a set of security technologies that will help to improve the ability of Windows XP-based computers to withstand malicious attacks from viruses and worms. The technologies include enhanced:
• Network protection: These security technologies will help provide better protection against network-based attacks, like Blaster, through a number of innovations, including enhancements to Internet Connection Firewall (ICF).
• Memory protection: Some attacks by malicious software leverage software vulnerabilities that allow too much data to be copied into areas of the computer's memory. These vulnerabilities are typically referred to as buffer overruns. Although no single technique can completely eliminate this type of vulnerability, Microsoft is employing a number of security technologies to mitigate these attacks from different angles.
• E-mail handling: Security technologies will help stop viruses (such as SoBig.F) that spread through e-mail and instant messaging. These technologies include default settings that are more secure, improved attachment control for Outlook Express and Windows Messenger, and increased Outlook Express security and reliability.
• Web browsing security: Security technologies delivered in Internet Explorer that will provide improved protection against malicious content on the Web. One enhancement includes locking down the local machine zone to prevent against the running of malicious scripts and fortifying against harmful Web downloads.
• Computer Maintenance
Together, these security technologies will help to make it more difficult to attack Windows XP, even if the latest updates are not applied. These security technologies together are particularly useful against worms and viruses. In addition, this service pack also includes updates designed to improve the performance and stability of several Windows features.
SP2 Installation
I downloaded and installed the network version of SP2 (RC) via DSL; be forewarned the package is 271MB in size, so you may want to install SP2 (RC) via the Express install, which installs a small 400KB program on your desktop. Double click the program to then download the Service Pack over the Internet.
During the process (as in all Service Pack installations) you will be afford the opportunity to save a copy of all the files SP2 (RC) is about to replace. I recommend you select this option despite the fact that it will tack an additional 10 – 15 onto the install process. In case the installation of SP2 (RC) goes astray the backup will allow you to roll back to the previous version of Windows XP Pro.
Installation of SP2 (RC) takes a while to complete; approximately 15 – 30 minutes depending on method of delivery. Once complete the system will reboot, and presto the computer is updated. Once back into the Windows XP Pro desktop, there is no outward sign that SP2 (RC) has been installed, other then a “File a Bug” icon on the desktop. But click on Internet Explorer and the security enhancements become quite apparent (more on that below).
What’s New
Of the myriad of changes implemented in SP2 (RC), Network Protection, and Web Browsing Security are the most visible and important, so I will discuss both in detail below.
Network Protection under SP2
Microsoft is advancing three key technologies in SP2 that they claim will make computer systems less vulnerable to attacks over the network (descriptions from Microsoft):
• Internet Connection Firewall. Internet Connection Firewall (ICF) is a stateful filtering firewall for Windows XP and Windows Server 2003. ICF provides protection for PCs connected to a network by preventing unsolicited inbound connections through TCP/IP version 4 (IPv4). SP2 turns on ICF by default and starts it earlier in the boot process.
• RPC Interface Restriction. Interface restriction (exposed to developers, for example, through a new registry key called RestrictRemoteClients) modifies the behavior of all remote procedure call interfaces on the system and will, by default, eliminate remote anonymous access to RPC interfaces on the system, with some exceptions. Practically speaking, RPC interface restriction requires callers to perform authentication, which makes it much more difficult to attack an interface. This is a particularly useful mitigation against Trojan horses, which tend to rely on exploitable buffer overruns that can be invoked remotely through anonymous connections.
• Changes to DCOM. SP2 makes two changes to the behavior of Distributed Component Object Model (DCOM). First, it introduces computer-wide restrictions, which, in effect, provide an additional access check against a computer-wide access control list (ACL) on each call, activation, or launch of any COM server on the computer. Second, it introduces a set of more granular COM permissions, which give administrators flexibility to control a computer's COM permission policy.
The most visible networking change is the Internet Connection Firewall. Whereas before only the “shared” network connection was provided firewall protection, now “all” network connections, be they wired, wireless, or 1394 Firewire, are put behind a firewall by default. This protection can be toggled on and off via a new tab Advanced tab under the Properties of a particular network connection.
Note: A computer firewall protects networked computers from intentional hostile intrusion (most likely from the Internet) that could compromise confidentiality or result in data corruption or denial of service. It may be a hardware device or a software program running on a secure host computer. The term "firewall" comes from the fact that by segmenting a network into different physical subnetworks, they limited the damage that could spread from one subnet to another - just like traditional firedoors or firewalls.
Also under the Advanced tab firewall setting can be manipulated, unlike previous versions of Windows XP Pro. However, I caution the laymen to leave most of the setting as is; they are really meant for advanced users who understand the mechanics of network security. The one area you can manipulate without reading the network security manual is the Exceptions tab wherein you can add and remove programs to the firewall exceptions list to allow programs and application incoming access to your computer; e.g. AOL Instant Messenger, RealPlayer, Internet Explorer, File and Print Sharing, Quicktime, all need incoming access to my computer in order to function correctly. Therefore I have added those programs to the firewall exceptions list.
Firewall protection is represented by a 3-d green shield with a white check mark in the center. As a result of loading SP2 (RC) I have uninstalled Norton Internet Security without dire consequences.
Web browsing security
Can you say pop-up protection? This is the most visible change to Internet Explorer 6.0 (IE 6.0) under SP2 (RC), and it works rather well! When you navigate to a site with pop-ups IE will give an aural warning that it has blocked a pop-up. There is also a visual warning: an icon of a webpage with a read circle through it, and the words Pop-up blocked. To see the pop-up or additional options click here…This warning is displayed at the top of the web page just below the regular toolbars in its own mini toolbar. Clicking the toolbar will bring up a menu, which in turn allows you to display the pop-up if, you so choose, or turn pop-up stopper off completely.
The menu also allows you to add the particular website to an exceptions list that will display pop-ups from that site. And setting will allow you to manually add a web site to the list.
Both the Security and Privacy settings default to high, and this might prove problematic to less savvy users. With both of these settings on high, web pages that utilize the latest web technologies cannot be viewed to their fullest potential. For example with Privacy set to high cookies cannot not be downloaded or read from your computer. You might think that this is a good thing since cookies have been unjustly demonized. But by not allowing cookies, the web sites you visit often will not remember who you are; e.g. if you regularly log into NY Times (www.nytimes.com) to read the news, the site requires a user name and password to go beyond the first page. Via a cookie from the site placed on your computer, the site knows it’s you whenever you stop by and you will not be asked to enter your user ID and password, however with Privacy set to high the site will not recognize you and it will continually ask you for a user name and password. The same goes for a site in which you fill out demographic information, like Amazon.com, or 1800Flowers.com, which may contain shipping and billing information. To me it’s a pain, so I allow cookies.
With Security set to high (default setting), practically no third party applications and or applets will run under IE. The much maligned Active X controls created by Microsoft have long been the source of hackers as a way to introduce harmful code into networks and individual user’s computers; with Security set to high these controls will no longer work, degrading the browsing experience. So too Java applets which can allow streaming video and audio, as well as those dreaded advertisements to open in IE. In fact Java applets will not run at all unless Java runtime is downloaded and installed in IE 6.0.
Downloading within IE 6.0 is completely disabled as is scripting and a host of other IE 6.0 enhancements that are supposed to make the web browsing experience more enjoyable. To be sure these settings are supposed to protect networks and users from malicious code, errand scripts, and viruses and they do, but at a price.
Overall, I like the enhancements and protection SP2 (RC) has to offer. The inclusion of a firewall and pop-up technologies has allowed me to un-install third party applications, thereby lessoning the resource burden on the Windows XP Pro, and my out-of-pocket costs. To date I have installed SP2 (RC) on a total of six computers running Windows XP Pro, and I have yet to use the “File a Bug” icon. Of that happenstance I am a happy administrator. My impression: this is a stable Service Pack with a lot to offer in the way of security and privacy and is well worth the effort that will be needed to install it.
Conclusions:
So, how do I like Windows XP Pro? I love it actually. For the corporate desktop there is no more stable OS in my opinion then Windows XP Pro. Proponents of Linux might argue the point, and I might concede it if more application were written for the open source OS. After all what good is an OS without applications to run on it?
Combine this stability with rue 32 bit computing which has been around for a while in the guise of IBM’ OS/2 Warp platform, and you have a winning combination; an OS able to handle just about any application thrown at it. Windows XP Pro also brings enhanced support for wireless networking, broader support for laptop power-saving functionality, and a brand new colorful interface to the table.
As I stated at the outset of this review, I have literally installed hundreds of instances of Windows XP Pro and I have yet to see a serious problem with the OS that could not be traced to badly written third party code, or hardware incompatibilities. Some will point to the now legendary security leaks as a reason not to upgrade to Windows XP Pro, but I would counter that if Linux was the predominate OS security would be an issue for it as well. Hackers intentionally seek out and exploit holes in the OS, even if they have to burrow their way in. And to be fair most of the security hits have been written to exploit applications that run within Windows XP Pro; Outlook (e-mail), SQL Server and IE are three of the biggest culprits.
With the final release of SP2 (RC) those security holes will be closed if one chooses to do so. It is a needed major security upgrade to the OS that will bring mixed blessing to network administrators and end users alike.
When all is said and done, Windows XP Pro is a culmination of Microsoft’s years of experience with Windows NT, Windows 9xx, and Windows 2000, and a welcome upgrade which finally bring true 32-bit computing to the masses.
Recommended:
Yes
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Member: Vincent
Location: Aurora, IL
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