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XPect no rush: Innovations in the new Windows operating system are nice but nothing worth lining up for
10/25/2001
It may take more than $1 billion and singers Madonna and David Byrne to
get America excited about Windows XP, the new Microsoft operating system
being released Thursday.
Although not as revolutionary as Windows 95, XP does offer
advances.
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New look and feel: Shading, rounded window frames and buttons, a
simplified Start menu and a selection of new themes provide a
welcome relief from the blocky, gray default settings of previous
Windows versions. If you don't like the new blobby look, it can be
turned off to resemble the old Windows 98 appearance.
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Windows messenger: XP-equipped computers can be hooked together easily
with the ambitious new Windows Messenger component. It makes
instant messaging, voice, videoconferencing and
application-sharing easy to set up and operate.
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Photo and support: Digital photos are stored in My Pictures, an
organizational tool introduced with Windows Millenium. Microsoft
is trumpeting the simplicity of XP's handling of photography,
music and games. Digital photographs are handled with new aplomb.
XP can recognize when CDs and SmartMedia cards are loaded with
photos and prompts the user with options such as printing, sending
them as e-mail attachments and viewing them in slide shows.
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User accounts: For households and offices where several users log into the
same computer, XP includes an easy way to keep everyone's desktops
customized and secure from tampering. Access to critical system
files can be prohibited for everyone but an administrator. An
opening screen can be set up for each member of the family. The
customized desktops keep applications running and data secure when
others log on.
But it is doubtful that Windows XP will have the same buoyant welcome
drummed up by Microsoft's last comparable upgrade, the 1995 debut of
Windows 95. In large measure, that can be attributed to the current
economic climate and a general tech malaise. To a greater degree,
Windows XP may suffer from a consumer backlash against the endless cycle
of upgrades that have promised more than they deliver.
As computer makers have learned, all but the most ardent hobbyists are
satisfied with older machines and the second major Windows operating
system, Windows 98, in its various incarnations (Windows 98, Windows 98
Second Edition and Windows Millennium). In reality, consumers have seen
smaller and smaller performance improvements from upgrading hardware and
software. A 500-megahertz processor with a decent Internet connection
running Windows 98 Second Edition can handle just about anything the
average user needs.
The basic requirements for the leap to Windows XP alone – at least a 300
MHz processor, 1.5 gigabytes of hard disk space and 128 megabytes of
memory – are enough to turn off millions of home users.
Microsoft says XP can be used with slower processors, but it is not
recommended. Some independent studies show consumers can expect only
marginal performance improvements on most normal tasks, anyway. Several,
in fact, indicate Windows XP actually bogs down systems – especially at
the low end of upgrade candidate computers.
As a result, consumers aren't likely to set their alarms and rush to
stores for a chance to be the first on their blocks running Windows XP.
They did so for Windows 95 and Windows 98, but both offered quantum
leaps in the home computing experience. Windows XP does not. And
Microsoft seems to know it.
"What we're trying to do is get a general perception that, gee, the PC
has changed a great deal in the last year or two," said Mark Croft, lead
Windows product manager. "If you get a good modern PC with this new
operating system, you're actually getting a fantastic home user device."
For those with an upper-end system who are tired of the same old Windows
desktop, the $99 Windows XP Home edition may be worth the leap. The rest
may want to sit this one out, migrating to XP when they purchase faster
computers on which the new operating system is already loaded.
Otherwise, users should weigh the upgrade costs and hassles against
their desire for XP's most compelling features.
New look
The most notable design change is in the Start menu, which presents
users with their most frequently used applications and gives them a
better set of options for displaying essential system folders.
A selection of desktop backgrounds is offered, including XP's signature
green meadow and puffy cloud motif that is seen in Microsoft's
television campaign with Madonna. More elaborate desktop images, color
schemes and three-dimensional screen savers can be purchased with the
$39.95 XP Plus add-on package.
Those unnerved by the new look can revert to the familiar "classic"
Windows desktop appearance.
Upgrade choices
The two primary consumer upgrade packages – XP Home and XP Professional
– carry price tags of $99 and $199, respectively. Gateway, Compaq and
other PC makers that are still clearing out Windows 98 machines have
offered coupons for XP upgrades for as little as $15.
If you've followed the upgrade carrot offered by Microsoft in recent
years, the Home edition would be your choice.
The lowest-priced upgrade package can be used to install XP over
existing Windows 98 or Windows Millennium systems, or for a "clean
install" on a separate drive or partition. Many experts are recommending
a clean install for XP, citing better performance. Clean installations
of the operating system, of course, mean more work. With that method,
you'll have to reload all your software.
Those running Windows NT 4.0, Windows 95 or Windows 2000 must purchase
XP Professional to put XP over their existing operating systems.
However, a clean install could also be performed using the cheaper Home
upgrade version.
Full installation versions of the Home and Professional editions ($199
and $299, respectively) are also available for users who don't have
Windows systems on their hard disks.
The differences between Professional and Home will be negligible to most
users, unless they are running on a server-based Microsoft network.
Check the point-by-point comparisons at the Microsoft site (
www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/home/howtobuy/choosing.asp) to ensure the
proper choice.
Installation
Before installing, a 32MB download called the Windows XP Upgrade Advisor
(
www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/pro/howtobuy/upgrading/advisor.asp) will point
out potential hardware and software problems with your existing setup.
An Internet site, PCPitstop (
www.pcpitstop.com/xpready) offers a handy Web-based tool for doing the
same thing. Pay particular attention to prospective software glitches.
MusicMatch JukeBox, Apple's QuickTime, Roxio's Easy CD Creator, Logitech
Mouseware and McAfee VirusScan are all common programs that may not run
right without software patches.
However, the upgrade adviser alerts should not be considered the final
word. We ignored most of the alerts and were surprised at the number of
programs that seem to operate without a glitch, despite warnings.
Overall, the upgrade process is painless and can be accomplished in less
than an hour. Driver support for peripheral devices is noticeably
improved over Windows Millennium and Windows 98 Second Edition, and the
XP Help functions are a welcome aid in finding necessary patches during
installation.
XP is the first Microsoft OS to include an anti-piracy feature called
Windows Product Activation. Basically, this technology takes a snapshot
of your computer – its network card, display adapter, processor and
several other components. A resulting code effectively weds your
purchased operating system CD to your computer.
In the old days, any Windows product could be loaded into a second
machine – in technical violation of the software licensing agreement –
with a code found on the back of the operating system's CD case.
But if XP detects a radical change in your system during installation, a
dialogue box opens and asks you to call a Microsoft operator to explain.
If the operator is satisfied with your explanation, a new activation
code will be issued. If not, you will be directed to purchase another XP
CD.
Performance
XP does boot up faster than Windows 98, but only slightly.
On another front, XP's blend of the Windows 2000 and NT code makes it
the least crash-prone of any Microsoft operating system. When a program
has problems, it does not usually lock up the desktop.
Other features
System Restore/Driver Rollback: Introduced with Windows
Millennium, System Restore records your system configuration. If trouble
develops later, you can easily return to a stable environment. Driver
Rollback is new and a great idea along the same line. It watches when
you install new device drivers, then keeps a backup of the old driver in
case the new one produces system hiccups.
Firewall: With a nod to the rise in always-on Internet
connections, Microsoft includes basic protection against unwanted
intruders.
Windows Messenger: A huge amount of work has gone into making
Windows Messenger a standard for all sorts of communications. XP's
Messenger is not just another version of NetMeeting. This incarnation
makes video conferencing with other XP-equipped computers easy. It also
allows text-based chat across all platforms and makes it simpler to
share applications across a Net connection.
Better music support: Windows Media Player 8 pushes the use of
its own Windows Media format over the pervasive MP3 standard. Ripping
CDs into high-quality MP3s will require a $10 MP3 Creation Pack.
On the whole, XP offers users plenty of innovations. Whether they are
enough to awaken the PC industry from its slumber remains to be seen.
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