A Window With a View
Written: Nov 18 '01 (Updated Nov 25 '01)
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Easier to use than previous versions of Windows. Fast bootup. Fast Application Loads.
Cons: I hate uninstalling all the default stuff I don't use.
The Bottom Line: This is great! Microsoft gave my University a campus-wide license for WindowsXP so I decided to give it a test drive. I'd say go for it.
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| KarsinTheHutt's Full Review: Microsoft Windows XP Professional (E85-00086) For ... |
Most home computer users and even some small businesses use Microsoft Windows 98 or Millennium Edition. Both operating systems trace their roots back to MS-DOS and the rather buggy Windows 3.1 – and both suffer from those awful Blue Screens of Death (crashes).
In the late 1980’s, Microsoft began developing an entirely new operating system named Windows NT (New Technology). Although Windows NT sported the familiar Windows interface, underneath it was based on an entirely new code base that did not have any of the disadvantages of the old MS-DOS/Windows combination. Windows NT became popular among businesses that needed the reliability and speed that the old Windows could not provide. Windows NT eventually became Windows 2000, the operating system that Microsoft derives Windows XP from.
Over the years, Microsoft has worked very hard to bring the Windows NT family of operating systems to the home user. The culmination of this effort is Windows XP, an operating system that combines the reliability of Windows NT with the compatibility and ease-of-use of Windows ME. I think that most if not all PC users will be quite pleased with the result. Windows XP is more stable, more secure, and easier to use than any previous version of Windows. Though there are some annoyances, they are relatively minor in light of the improvements.
Improvements in Security and Stability
It's no secret that versions of Windows from 3.1 through ME had no security. Anyone could boot into your computer and play around with your files. Not so with Windows XP. Windows XP allows you to create separate, password-protected accounts for every person using your computer. Each person has a private directory that other users (except the administrator) cannot alter. For a family, this might be useful – for example, this could prevent a vengeful sibling from sabotaging the schoolwork of a brother or sister. Also, standard user accounts are barred from accessing or modifying critical system files, thus ensuring that ignorant users won’t accidentally delete files that Windows needs to function properly.
In the unlikely event that a critical system file becomes corrupted or modified, Windows XP has a feature called System Rollback. Microsoft first introduced System Rollback in Windows ME. This allows a user to restore the state of the system before certain dates or specified points in time. System Rollback can be useful if newly installed programs or device drivers cause problems.
Windows XP is also well equipped to deal with threats from outside - the Internet to be precise. Unlike previous versions of Windows, Windows XP allows a user to firewall, or shield, their network connections from all but the most determined of hackers. This protects both your valuable data and the functionality of your computer.
While these improvements are extremely important, they would be boring by themselves. To this end, Microsoft worked towards improving the way Windows helps users accomplish their daily tasks.
GUI (Graphical User Interface) Changes
The Windows XP GUI is far more pleasant and versatile than any other Windows GUI I’ve seen. The ‘themes’ that were prevalent starting with Windows 98 are vastly improved – users can download ‘themes’ that alter the appearance of the taskbar and system buttons, much the same way one changes skins on the popular Winamp MP3 player program.
Among several small but significant improvements I also found useful:
(1) Larger & easier to read icons
(2) Hiding System Tray – do you run programs like SETI and AIM that have a system tray icon? Does the tray eat up space on the taskbar? You can configure the tray to hide the icons, and you can view those icons again by clicking on a tiny arrow to re-expand the tray.
(3) Task Based Interface – The control panel is now task based, and several options panes ask users what they want to do. Clicking on specific tasks opens up the program or applet needed to perform the task. This is much faster than searching through menus and looking for buttons.
(4) Program grouping on Taskbar – Ever have 15 browser windows open at the same time under Windows ME? Ever notice that the icons on the taskbar shrink and users can’t read what windows are displaying what pages? Windows XP fixes this by grouping files opened with the same application under their own button on the taskbar. Clicking on that button in the taskbar pops up a list of what files are open, making it much easier to find the window you want. This is my favorite GUI improvement.
So Windows XP Sounds Great! But what about…
Product Activation
Windows XP received a lot of bad press over something called Windows Product Activation (WPA). WPA was designed by Microsoft to combat software piracy, particularly in consumer environments. WPA requires you to register your copy of Windows XP with Microsoft over the phone or the Internet. Although it’s a slight inconvenience, I don’t believe WPA is a compelling reason not to use Windows XP, unless you plan to use your computer in an area without telephones or Internet access. Not registering Windows XP will cause Windows to complain on startup, and after a specified period of time Windows XP will refuse to function until you complete activation procedures. WPA works by looking at the components of your computer and generating a code called a 'one-way hash code' based on serial or model numbers of those components. The resulting code cannot be decrypted to determine what is inside your computer (which is why it is called a one-way hash). This hash is sent along with the Windows XP product key (A 25 character code on your CD) to Microsoft via the Internet. You can also call Microsoft with the hash and product key. Windows XP is then given permission through another code to operate normally. If you install Windows XP on another computer, a different Hash will be generated, and when that computer contacts Microsoft for activation permission, the Microsoft server will see that the product key is already tied to another computer and will deny activation permission.
One thing Microsoft hasn't been very clear about is how WPA works with new PCs such as models purchased from Dell, Gateway, and other large computer manufacturers. Conveniently, people who purchase their PCs from large companies do not have to activate at all! The copies of Windows XP that are shipped to computer manufacturers will only check the BIOS (a basic instructions and ID chip) on a computer to verify that it is a computer authorized to use Windows XP. Only people purchasing Windows XP upgrades at stores will have to face the relatively harmless WPA feature.
Is my computer fast enough?
I've also read reports on various Internet bulletin boards that Windows XP requires too much computing power, or even a whole new computer! However, this claim really depends on what Windows XP features you use. Windows XP supports a new feature called ‘Fast user switching’. This allows several people to be logged in at once and allows users to run programs in the background while someone else is logged in. Fast user switching can be very convenient, but it also requires lots of memory. For a PC with one user I would say 128 MB of RAM is appropriate, and for each other user that will be logged in simultaneously I would recommend at least 64 MB more RAM. For example, for a machine that up to 3 family members will be running programs simultaneously, 128 MB for one user and 64 for each other user comes out to about 256 MB of RAM. Of course, the types of programs you run while using ‘Fast user switching’ will affect this estimate.
I am currently running Windows XP Professional on a 266 MHz Pentium II laptop with 128 MB of RAM. Since I’m the only user of this laptop, things have been fine. However, I recently observed a 450 MHz Pentium III desktop running Fast user switching with only 128 MB of RAM, and performance was quite sluggish. Opening applications and working with files was noticeably slower. However, with RAM prices hitting rock bottom (256 MB can be had for $20 or less), a cheap RAM upgrade can go a long way towards making an older machine XP-capable.
With respect to CPU power, my observation of several systems running Windows XP leads me to conclude that a 500-600 MHz Pentium III/Celeron/Athlon/Duron system with 256 MB or more RAM will run Windows XP just fine. Anyone with a system that was new in 1999 or later should be able to run Windows XP.
Minor annoyances:
Despite the numerous improvements, I did find a few annoyances... Windows XP installs itself along with MSN Browser and MSN Messenger. I don't use either of these programs, and Windows XP doesn't make it easy to get rid of them. I had to modify a configuration file to get the programs to show up on the uninstall menu, and I was only able to do this after some research on the Internet. Many users will not appreciate this, and will find MSN Messenger a continual menace in the system tray. I really didn’t appreciate MSN Messenger constantly asking me to sign up for a Microsoft Passport.
Conclusion:
There are many aspects of Windows XP that I haven’t discussed, but I think I’ve addressed the most important issues. Windows XP is easier to use than Windows ME and its predecessors, and it is also much more reliable because it is based on the tried and true Windows NT/2000 family of operating systems. And despite worries over WPA and upgrading older computers, Windows XP does not seem to present any undue obstacles for most people. As a last comment, I would say that it’s about time Microsoft released a good operating system to consumers!
General Warning – the Windows XP Home Edition does not have much of the functionality of the Professional edition. File Security and Remote Desktop are two features that the Home Edition does not support.
Recommended:
Yes
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Epinions.com ID:
KarsinTheHutt
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Member: Karsin Eng
Location: United States of America
Reviews written: 83
Trusted by: 19 members
About Me:
I am a part time computer hobbyist and moderator at forum.thinkpads.com
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