Average Rating: 
Rating:  - Windows XP "The Next Gerneration"
Put simply, it's hard for me to not get excited about Windows XP.
Why Windows XP Is Important?
Each Windows release has a theme, a reason for it to exist. Windows 95, of course, moved the DOS/Windows world to the 32-bit space, and brought with it a major change to the Windows user interface. Not coincidentally, Windows NT 4.0 was about moving the Windows 95 user interface to the NT world. Windows 98 was a small release designed to add bug fixes and Internet integration, along with new device support. Windows 98 SE, of course, was an even smaller upgrade with the same mission as its predecessor: Add new Internet features, improve stability, and support new hardware. Windows 2000, an NT product, brought a new level of sophistication and compatibility to the business world. And Windows Me--the final 9x product--added stability and digital media features to Microsoft's new consumer line.
Windows XP is also about choice. Contrary to reports that Windows XP was exclusionary, this OS makes it easier for users to decide which applications will work with which tasks. For example, you could use AOL and Netscape for Web and email, and then use Kodak's digital camera software to acquire digital photos, if you wanted. So you don't have to use what Microsoft provides. But for the vast majority of users, what Microsoft does provide in the box is not only sufficient, but actually quite good. That's because the company really thought through each experience end-to-end: What happens when the user plugs in a digital camera? Or a camcorder? It's all in there, and it's about what real users want to do with their computers.
And finally, Windows XP is important because it signals the end of the old DOS/Windows product line. Windows XP is based on a new version of the NT/2000 kernel, dubbed the Windows Engine, which brings the reliability of Microsoft's industrial strength business platform to home users for the first time. That it does so without sacrificing application and hardware compatibility is really the most impressive thing about this release. Microsoft has finally come through on its promise to integrate its consumer and business OS products, and the result is far better than I would have anticipated just a year ago.
Of course, the most obvious change in Windows XP is its new user interface, code-named Luna. Early in the development of Windows XP, Microsoft decided that it would move from the monolithic Explorer shell--first introduced in Windows 95--to a new UI that would be more extensible and easier to upgrade later. This new shell allows the user to provide various Visual Styles to the OS, each giving a unique look and feel, while utilizing users' same basic skill set from the old UI.
Other new shell features include an integrated CD burning capability, which will record (or "burn") audio and data CDs as fast as is possible with your hardware; and the ClearType display enhancement technology for LCD displays (laptops and flat panel monitors only). Both are most welcome additions.
In Conclusions Windows XP is a must-have upgrade for any individual using any version of Windows. I wouldn't recommend that any corporation halt an ongoing Windows 2000 rollout for XP, but for virtually everyone else, it's a no-brainer. It is far more reliable and stable than Windows 9x, while offering a similar level of software and device compatibility. Compared to Windows NT/2000, XP offers a stunning new interface with various integrated experiences, but it's also more reliable, and far more compatible. And features like Remote Desktop, Remote Assistance, and Windows Messenger will make Windows XP indispensable to many current 2000 users as well. Regardless of how you get it, Windows XP is a cause for celebration. For the hundreds of millions of people mired in the unstable hell of Windows 9x, Windows XP is a clean slate, your entry into a new world of reliability and stability. For Windows 2000 users, the upgrade is less dramatic, but still worthwhile, especially for the mobility and digital media features. And for the Mac OS X and Linux platforms, where innovation equates to copying the feature set of Windows, the bar has been raised yet again, this time to great heights. Surely, those platforms will catch up someday. But in the meantime, we've got the best solution right here, right now.
Rating: - The Best Windows Operating System Yet.
I have been beta testing the versions of XP since M$ started releasing them, and this thing was rock solid even in beta form. It has NEVER crashed on me, and the only times I've seen it crash is due to faulty drivers. I'd consider myself a power user, and this OS actually keeps up. I would highly reccomend getting the Professional version, as it adds several features I would say are key, that aren't present in the home edition, such as remote desktop.There is great plug & play, great multimedia support, and the new interface is amazing once you get used to it. Windows Media Player 8 has replaced my need for any other music. I'm also using the Plus! pack, which adds some nifty other features. Of course, the reason this OS is awesome is it's kernel. It is running NT, not the DOS crap that M$ has been releasing in 9x. If you thought 2000 was stable, this is even more stable (yeah, it gets stabler than that). I have never, EVER given a Microsoft product a full 5 stars, but I can't give this product anything less. Forget about WPA, forget about so called "privacy" and "antitrust" issues. If you want a rock solid OS, you want Windows XP.
Rating: - XP Home is the best OS
Well, I just got me an HP Pavilion 750n. It came with XP. I've used Mac OS, linux and (of course!) Windows since 3.1
I must say that this operating system is worth the money! I have a lexmark printer and a Canon scanner, plus an older SB LIVE value soundcard and a wacom tablet. I plugged everything in and powered up......
and everything is detected and works as its supposed to work. Configuration of multiple accounts was a breeze and I've not had a single lockup or porgram or game that wouldn't work. In addition I was able to setup the computer with the latest server build from Apache as well as MySql and everything is just hunky-dory.
For specs I've got a P4 1.6 ghz processor, 80 gb hdd and 512 of DDR ram. I do agree that you should lay your hands on as much ram as possible, just for speed of games and 3d apps. I can now run Premiere, Golive, Imageready and Photoshop, brose teh web AND switch backa nd forth from a game I'm playing, without any crashing at all. PS I've got some older games to (1998 or so) and they work great in XP, without the need to even run compatibility mode.In a nutshell, I would recommend getting XP. Its faster more stable and non-intimidating for the novice and just plain nice to look at for us old pros.
Thanks for reading!
|
