The latest stud to emerge from the MS stables at Redmond, Washington, Microsoft XP (eXPerience) combines the raw 32-bit processing power of Windows NT (New Technology) with the flexibility and user-friendly interface of the more familiar Windows 9X series. Windows XP was internally referred by Microsoft as ’’Neptune’’ at first and later renamed ’’Whistler’’ before finally becoming ‘XP’.Even though I don’t run anything more than the normal Office applications like Excel and Word apart from IE, I found this version of Windows OS (Operating System) to be simply “Awesome”.
The minimum requirements for installing Windows XP are 64 MB RAM, PII-233 processor, 2 GB hard disk space. Remember, those are only the minimum requirements. However, chances are that if you try installing and running XP on the above system, it would be like a F-1 race in slow motion. The recommended configuration would be more like P-III 300 Mhz, 128 MB RAM and as much hard disk space as one can get (around 1GB is required for the installation). We used a P-III 400 Mhz machine with 20 GB hard disk space and 128 MB RAM.
While those using Windows 2000 might not find it too exciting, those more familiar with Windows 98 are sure to be floored by the hi-tech features and intelligent behaviour of XP. I’ll attempt to explain why I’m raving and ranting so much about MS XP.
Here’s a point by point analysis along with my personal ratings on a scale of 1-5, with 5 being the best:
- Installation/Setup - (4/5)
The autorun wizard presents three choices - Install Windows XP, Perform additional tasks, or Check system compatibility. For those upgrading from Windows 9X/2000, it is recommended to run the System Compatibility Check (SCC). The SCC launches an upgrade advisor which automatically scans the system and suggests changes/upgrades wherever required. On a fresh PC, one can also do a clean installation using the “Install Windows XP” option. The entire installation process took about an hour and 5-10 minutes on our PC.
- Interface and Design – (5/5)
On completion of the installation, the magic starts right from the first boot when one is greeted by a flashy Welcome screen. The XP has a very visually appealing interface there is an option to switch between multiple users, in case more than one user uses the same PC and wants to customise his/her settings. The desktop looks quite different from the ones we are accustomed to in Windows 9x with a totally new look, colours, background snaps and icons that can be changed according to one’s wish using the “Themes Manager”.
The familiar “Start” button too has been tampered with and now contains two columns of icons, one containing icons of most frequently used programs and the other contains icons which were previously placed on the desktop (My Computer, My Documents, My Briefcase, Network Neighbourhood, etc.). There is a great amount of flexibility in that the user has the option of putting back all these things right back on the Desktop if one wants to. I certainly have got used to having my desktop spick and span by now. The XP sports Internet Explorer version 6.0 which has been marginally spruced up as compared to its predecessors.
- Hardware Support – (5/5)
Hundreds of new driver files have been pre-installed in this version which ensure that one is not forced to suffer on account of installation of a new hardware, be it a Digital Camera, a Web Cam or a Modem. In case the said driver files/patches are not installed, the auto update manager automatically downloads the same from the concerned hardware manufacturers website.
For those inclined to frequent R&D on their systems and end up screwing up the PCs (like me), there is something called a “System Restore Tool” which allows one to take manual or automatic snapshots of the PC along with its hardware drivers and configuration. If I install a new device that causes system problems, I have the option of reverting the PC back to a previous date (before installation of the new hardware) and therefore revert back to my original settings without causing any collateral damage to the PC.
- Performance – (5/5)
I don’t have any benchmarking software to test how good XP’s performance is vis-a-vis other Operating Systems. But on the basis of what I’ve seen and eXPerienced so far, this is certainly the best thing to have happened to PC users since the advent of the PC itself. One more thing, the booting up and shutdown happen in a matter of a few seconds...but that’s again dependent on an individual system configuration. I’ve been using XP for about 10-14 days now and thankfully have not had the opportunity to use those 3 dreaded keys (Control + Alt + Delete) even once so far. That should say something of the XP’s stability and immunity to crashes.
- Ease of use – (5/5)
Inspite of all the new additions both in terms of features as well as looks, there is nothing complicated in using this OS. If anything, it is easier. In case of problems, there is always the omnipresent “Help” feature to help one out. The Help and Support centre now includes a list of compatible hardware and software too.
Cons
On the flip side, the OS certainly is memory hungry and has an avaricious appetite for bits and bytes...anything less than 128 MB RAM and it will turn out to be an exercise in futility to install XP. The higher the configuration, more the efficacy of XP.
It also contains many self-tuning features that have a nasty habit of popping up unannounced when the PC is run the first few times after installation. If you can re-schedule or turn off these features depending on your convenience and preferences, that’s not a problem then.
Windows XP has a new anti-piracy feature. Each installation of XP will create a unique product ID (of 50 characters!) based on the current hardware of the PC. The software needs to be registered, either on phone or on-line within 30 days of the first installation. If the same copy of XP is later installed or moved to a different computer, the resulting product IDs will not match and the user will need to contact Microsoft to proceed with installation. This effectively means that each legal copy can be installed only once on a long term basis. For the others, you either buy a registered version or borrow, install and use for the mandatory 30 days. This can be a real problem because the CD series costs US$ 199 for the full version and US$ 99 for an upgrade from Windows 98/98SE/ME (I don’t know how much it costs here) and we in India generally have less of registered copies and more of “borrowed and installed” versions.
Whether to upgrade or not?
If you’re currently running a system that you’re happy with and don’t plan on taking advantage of XP’s advanced features, it’s better to stick with what you have until till such a time as Windows 9x/2000/ME gets outdated. There are very high chances that MS will sooner or later come out with updates and patches to fix the bugs, if any.
If at all you intend to install the XP, make it a clean and complete installation where there are likely to be less problems during installation and configuration and ensure that your PC has the minimum (if not the recommended) basic configuration required for this OS.
I’ll probably come back with an “Upgraded Review on XP” as and when I find a reason to, so long then...