Windows XP - A Worthwhile Upgrade
Written: Jul 28 '02
|
Product Rating:
|
|
|
Pros: Reliable; Impressive interface; easy to use; endless support/compatibility; crash-proof
Cons: Some compatibility issues; Not easy to upgrade from older versions
The Bottom Line: XP Professional is a good upgrade
|
|
|
| MichaelHatton's Full Review: Microsoft Windows XP Professional (E85-00086) For ... |
Windows XP Professional
Introduction>>>
Windows has been reliant on the old 9x standard to make it the dominating OS on the market, the complex yet easy to use interface most people are accustomed to of the Windows series hasn’t changed dramatically. There were some modifications done by some software vendors which made minor adjustments to the look of the 9x environment. However with the ever decreasing line between other operating systems like Mac OSX the Windows theme has suddenly been transformed into something which can finally be called a customisable PC. In Windows 98 SE we saw the dawn of “Themes” which altered the basic colour elements of windows, this followed on in Windows ME, but was scrapped in the much better Windows 2000 Professional. With Windows XP the whole Theme market spinning is regurgitated back into life with a sinkable OS, and one that makes the old classic style of Windows look now Boring in comparison.
The aim of the game is simple, base the new OS on an old engine, a good and reliable Win NT subsystem which 2000 Professional was built on, and add the crucial elements which don’t go into 2000. XP is all that Windows can be, provided your computer is holding parts with dates past the millennium and you’ll be doing fine. The OS no longer has those ignorant examples of old technology, like it automatically defaulting to a 256 colour scheme, when cards of such limitation expired almost a decade ago. What’s more they took the time to enhance the new XP, make it as compatible as the previous, and make it yet more reliable, for all those goals at least they have accomplished the most important.
New Look>>>
You start with the new interface, basically a skinned 2000, with sort of graphic layers applied to the edges of windows and title bars. Basically the whole OS is a camouflaged 9x. There are all the latest fixes and patches, plus a whole new auto-install set-up that basically means anything older than it is compatible. Some of the less convenient aspects of the older Windows have been updated, such as the task bar, which can be adjusted in so many more ways than before, and the Start menu which features a new layout. For the few who prefer the old style, XP allows you to change back to the “Windows Classic”.
The actual themes are probably the hardest aspect of changing the display, not only do they make it difficult to download them, but you’ll have to download the themes from websites, other than Microsoft’s (http://www.themexp.org). Personally the themes make the OS more interesting, as there isn’t much else you can do. Although you get a bag of new programs, such as Windows Movie Maker which returns from ME.
The overall look of XP has a lot of animations, all of course adjustable, but it appears that XP has twice as many settings menus, you’ll find a properties menu from anywhere on the entire screen. All these animations and adjustable menus make XP seem lethargic, in comparison with other Windows; the time to open windows seems longer. XP also seems much smarter now, for example, if it realises that a folder contains a few images, it will automatically preview the images.
Installation>>>
Installation of the OS is quite fast, it took less than 45 minutes to install using a 32X CD-ROM. Previously Windows 2000 was installed, and I decided to use the Upgrade setup so that XP could overwrite 2000 but still keep all the programs working properly. Unfortunately the system failed and I needed to install XP “next” to 2000, this works but the Programs all need to be re-installed again to be running properly with XP. Once the OS was fully installed I had a happy time setting it up, first of all the Monitor was auto-set to 800x600 and then all the components like graphics, sound and Network card were all auto-installed. Once the printer (Lexmark 3200) was online it auto-installed the drivers. Then I turned on the Scanner (Epson 640U) and it was auto-installed with newer Twain drivers than I had with 2000. It automatically configured the Internet settings and the LAN setup. For what it is this installation was brilliant, even though it didn’t all go to plan.
First Impressions>>>
Once you first play with XP there is a small difference with other Operating Systems like 2000 Professional. Firstly most of the design elements have been re-configured for easier use, like the System tray, which is now expandable. Other things such as the resolution, which are now much easier on the eye make it much better to use. I used to have 2000 Pro on 1024x768, but with XP’s new look I can have it on 1152x864 comfortably. With the themes system in place it looks a lot better, almost like the Media player that is skinnable, the entire interface can be edited to suite your taste, well as long as you chose the right theme. Although MS stated that they didn’t make XP for editing themes, other people have made very good themes with downloadable programs, which make the default Blue, Olive and Chrome effects look rubbish.
Games>>>
Another aspect of the XP upgrade is the fact it is said to be much better with games. Previously I was using Direct X 7, which works much better than 8 with Quake III Arena in Windows 2000 Pro. However with XP the Direct X is 8, and as a result the game performance is slightly poorer. Initially I had to configure the game in WordPad so that it worked as the graphics don’t work when you have them configured from 2000 Pro, and then go into XP. I changed the lighting and the texture filter which solved these issues. As I said, in 2000 Pro, I usually had an average FPS of around 125, but now the FPS (Frames per second) are less at around 90.
Reliability>>>
As a sort of upgrade to 2000 Professional, XP still requires a good PC, at least a better one than what 2000 needs. As those new elements of the design make the XP engine require a faster computer. If anything the memory requirements seem to have increased, from 2000 a memory level of 50Mb was used, but with XP the memory usage has increased to over 120Mb. So a RAM level of over 256Mb is recommended. The processor limit would be around the 600MHz, mark, as the system now runs slightly faster than 2000. The reliability of the system seems much the same; in the first three days, I had two crashes. However, these two crashes were both recoverable, they seem to freeze up, them return back to the normal operations about a minute later.
New Programs>>>
You can expect to see lots more of the good stuff of new programs in XP. From the latest Media Player, to the all new Movie Maker, and the compatibility wizard. There is also a new Windows Updating system for XP. Another feature of the professional version is that you don’t have to activate the system from the Internet.
Problems>>>
Of the programs that were diagnosed as “Incompatible” before installation, they were Ahead Nero Burning, Lexmark Printer and Diskeeper (Cambridge Audio). However XP Professional is said to be 75% compatible with applications made for Windows 98, 2000 and ME. Apart from this, there have been no major problems to date.
Conclusion>>>
XP Professional may be based around Windows NT, but in it’s own way it is a new OS, and then again Windows NT is a very good OS anyway. XP gives what the people who cry for a skinnable OS, or ones who would like to see one, which is as nice to look at and use. You may find the animations a little distracting, at least Microsoft allowed the entire interface to be edited completely without hassle. XP is also one of the easiest to use, with the added security feel and reliability, with a very hassle free installation and interface.
Recommended:
Yes
|
|
|
|
Epinions.com ID:
MichaelHatton
|
 - Top 200 |
|
Location: Darlington, England
Reviews written: 192
Trusted by: 59 members
About Me:
Retired
|
|
|
- Add to My Yahoo!: 
- Add to Google Homepage: 
© 1999-2009 Shopping.com, Inc.