Useful Features Exclusive to XP Professional:
Internet Connection Sharing (ICS) – You network can set up it’s systems with a single Internet connection. This is a cost saver.
Windows Management Instrumentation (WMI) - System administrators can monitor and control the system using scripting and/or third-party applications.
Dual-CPU Utilization – If you have a dual-CPU system (which are becoming more common), XP Professional, like NT and 2000, are able to use it. This allows for more efficient multi-tasking, video rendering, audio encoding, and graphics editing.
Domain Login – At login you are able to login to your networks domain, as it was with NT and 2000.
Enhanced Security settings
I have been fortunate enough to be a beta tester for this product, though I did not initially install the beta on my drive, after hearing about the ’’activation’’ clause. I won’t get into that ’’feature’’, since it’s the most talked about...
I have been a user of DOS, Windows 3.11, Windows 95, 98, and ME. My favorite OS, however, has been Windows 2000 Professional. After severe crashes, and abysmal memory management in 98 and Me, Win2000 provided a staple platform, which ran my most used applications (Adobe Photoshop, Dreamweaver, Office 2000, Flash 5) without a problem. It could be said that XP is the culmination of the best of WinME and Win2000.
Now, I had never been a fan of the ’’appearance’’ of Windows, (Mac OS 9 - and 10- had the trophy for the most attractive GUI) but the look had grown a bit stale...until Windows XP.
On installation, you notice that the beginning has a look of WinME - with it’s installation wizard - but the second part of the installation looks like Windows 2000 - with it’s DOS look. That is the end of the physical similarities.
During the installation, it picked up all of my components with no problem, and had all of the drivers needed, including my Network card, and monitor. At first boot-up (which is about half the Windows 2000 wait on my Athlon 1.2Ghz), you notice an attractive boot splash screen, which then brings you to the first major feature:
After setting up and selecting your profile, you come to the main screen. Built with a cleaner, highly customizable GUI, Windows XP can be either exciting for someone who loves to tweak, or a bit intimidating to those who don’t (Be aware of that before going in).
The start menu is different (though you can revert to the ’’Classic’’ style), in layout and function. It provides full access to the main parts you need. The requisite ’’Start’’ menu has been revised to include My Computer, Network Neighborhoods, and/or whatever else you may want. It’s quite customizable.
XP Useful features:
Not built on the older DOS engine
Compatibility mode – allows setting programs, which may no be native to XP, to run in 95/98/ME/NT/2000 “mode”. Great feature, and it has worked on all programs I have tried.
Enhanced battery life for laptops by:
a) Lid Power. Display is shut down when “lid” (screen) is closed.
b) LCD Dimming. When using battery power, the display is dimmed, and brightness is restored when plugged into AC.
Device driver rollback – a wonderful feature which allows you to “roll-back” to the previous driver, in case you have a conflict with your newly installed one. Allows beta-testing drivers.
Search Companion – much more advanced (and needed) search feature.
ClearType – much more precise and clean look for LCD and laptop displays. Also looks great on typical monitors.
System Restore – carried over from WinME, this feature allows “points” to be created, in order to restore system setting in case you run into problems. Timesaving.
Completely re-designed GUI
Customized Desktops - allows multiple ’’profiles’’ to be set up (husband, wife, and kids for example) which retain settings for icon placement, wallpaper, icons shown, and more. This is great if one of you likes a cluttered (i.e. save everything to desktop J) desktop, and another likes a clean one. In my case, my wife doesn’t want to see all of my icons for my programs, just the one little game she plays all the time. This feature gives XP some personality that has been missing.
XP Fairly Useful Features:
CD Burning – Nice inclusion of basic CD burning capabilities, but it must be said, that “basic” means “basic.” Not hybrid Mac/PC burns, no on-the-fly burning, VCD, etc. Get Nero 5.5.5.1 if you want great burning software.
Windows Messenger – MS answer to AOL Instant Messenger, allows quick connection to friends, and allows file trading. But it’s also annoying. It takes a toll on the system resources, so you may find yourself disabling it (like I did ;-).
Self-contained Firewall – though not as robust as third-party ones (ZoneAlarm, Norton, etc.), it is adequate for most users.
XP Misleading/Irritating Features:
DVD playback – this would be a nice feature…it existed. As it is, however, you need a third-party CODEC, in order to view DVDs.
Microsoft Media Player - MP3 ripping/playing is relegated to 96-bitrate, due to “protecting copyrights” of CDs. You must get the Plus! Pack in order to do higher bitrate ripping. It’s ironic that the WMA (Microsoft’s own format) can be ripped to and played at higher bitrates.
Stability:
Anyone familiar with Windows 2000/NT, will be impressed with XP’s stability. I have had to reboot only a couple of times, through the Beta and final versions, and then only due to my motherboard settings.
Users of Win95/98/ME will be very happy to know that they will not have the conflicts/crashes which plagues those OSs.
Compatibility info:
Some of my Software (all but one worked with no problem)
Photoshop 6
Dreamweaver 4
Fireworks 4
Flash 5
Cute FTP 1.0 Pro
NTI CD
Easy Creator 5 Deluxe (Problem. Error pop-ups (missing file) when opening. Re-installed WITHOUT Direct CD program. Fixed)
Some of my Hardware (all but one worked with no problem)
Asus Geforce MX 7100 video card
KDS VS-190 monitor
Netgear FA311 NIC card
Sony 4x4x32 CDRW
SoundBlaster Live! 5.1 sound card (I did have a problem with this card at first. System would reboot with page-fault errors. I removed-rebooted-reinstalled-rebooted, and updated the drivers - Fixed the problem)
Athlon 1.2Ghz CPU
Asus A7V133 RAID motherboard
From here you are on your own, but believe me, it is quite a bit of fun to get to know this OS. Microsoft has provided a powerful answer to Mac OS X, in both appearance and function.
Note:
Microsoft has released a fix (SP1), which updates/patches a good number of security issues and drivers.