Windows XP, Microsoft's next-generation OS, was launched in October 2001. Windows XP Home Edition and Windows XP Professional are replacements for Windows 98/ME and Windows 2000 Professional. While both products are similar, XP Professional is designed for business users. For example, XP Professional supports multiple processors, NTFS file encryption, remote installation support, and centralized management.

Installation

The installation process for Windows XP is very simple and straightforward. The setup program will upgrade an existing operating system (Windows 98, Windows ME, and Windows 2000) with very little intervention. Once the CD is inserted, a wizard prompts for upgrade options, and then the upgrade begins. All applications and most settings are kept during the upgrade, making this a very convenient process!

For new computers, XP has a bootable CD that starts the setup process. Once the setup process begins, it detects every hardware component and installs drivers for the devices on the computer. When the installation is complete, a wizard is launched that will allow you to grant permission to people to access your computer.

One of the best features of the XP setup is the "Files and Settings Transfer Wizard." This wizard copies files and settings from an existing computer to the new one with Windows XP. If the existing computer doesn't have Windows XP installed, the wizard launches nicely from the CD when inserted into the existing computer. Once the wizard is launched, it searches for applications on the existing computer. Then, it gathers the files and information before copying it to the new computer. This wizard lets you keep your customizations and everything! It makes life a lot easier when it's time to get a new computer.

Interface

Finally, a face-lift for Windows! While XP is fundamentally similar to Windows 2000's environment, it contains several nice improvements to its interface. The first features that I noticed were the 3D buttons and icons. In addition, everything seems to have nice gradient fades, and the boring gray scheme from Windows 95! Overall, the interface is very well done, and it's good that Microsoft has finally made significant improvements to Windows.


Features

Windows XP Professional has some very interesting features. For example, it has built-in wireless Ethernet support and support for Ethernet over firewire. While I haven't tested the wireless Ethernet, I was able to test Ethernet over firewire, and it's fast! Ethernet over firewire offers very high speeds (400 MB/sec). In addition, firewire does not require any configuration changes or reboots to enable.

XP is also shipped with built-in CD-Recording support. Burning a CD is now as easy as copying files to a floppy disk. If a blank CD is inserted into the CD-Recorder, XP will prompt you for several options. Basically, you can drag and drop files onto your CD and XP will either queue them or burn them immediately. Although this built-in support isn't as robust as some of the applications that come with CD-Recorders, it is very useful for making quick backups of files and/or folders.

One of the questionable inclusions in XP is built-in support for compressed files. Is this a Microsoft ploy to put WinZip out of business? By default, double-clicking a 'Zip' file in XP opens a built-in compression utility. It even supports the creation of 'Zip' files by simply right-clicking and selecting 'Send To Compressed Folder' from the menu. It's a great feature to include, but at what cost?

For older applications, XP contains "Application Compatibility Mode." Basically, this allows applications that are not fully compatible with XP to run under older versions of Windows. This method basically tricks applications into "thinking" that they are running on another OS. While it's quite useful, Application Compatibility Mode requires more memory, and it does not function for all applications.

Stability

XP is remarkably stable. I even installed several old applications that were not compatible with Windows 2000, and XP ran them just fine. However, several applications (especially games) would not install. Fortunately, XP prompts you when it detects an incompatible application, and suggests that you don't install it. However, I was able to run some of these applications in Compatibility Mode with no problems. In addition, one of my CD-Recording applications installed an incompatible driver and caused the infamous Blue Screen of Death. Fortunately, I was able to terminate the application without having to reboot.

Problems/Gripes

The most annoying feature of XP is its Activation Scheme. When it's installed, you have 15 days to "activate" the product. If not activated, XP will stop functioning. I understand Microsoft's goal to reduce software piracy, but the whole activation thing is too much trouble to endure after spending $200.00.

XP also needs more support for older applications. While it has more support than Windows 2000 does, Microsoft needs to go one step further. Who wants to throw away all of their old applications that work just fine on older Operating Systems? (Yes, I still play Doom) Hopefully, Microsoft will have these problems resolved by October.

Conclusion

Upgrading to Windows XP is a no-brainer for anyone with anything other than Windows 2000. It's a very user-friendly, stable, and powerful operating system. It offers the best that Microsoft has to offer in every realm. Every new application that I installed worked fine, including games. The built-in support for most devices also made things very easy. The overall look and feel of the operating system is very pleasing, and it's quite easy to navigate. On the other hand, Windows XP's price tag might not be worth it for existing users of Windows 2000. For $200, existing Windows 2000 users will basically enjoy the wonderful face-lift, and some other features, but nothing to warrant a complete overhaul.

XP, even in its current state, is an excellent operating system worth looking at. I would certainly recommend it to anyone who doesn't already have Windows 2000. If money is no object, go for it no matter what!


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