Skip to content
Join our Newsletter

Windows XP

Windows XP has been around for over a month now, so I thought it might be a good time to talk about why it?s the best version of the worlds most popular operating system.

Windows XP has been around for over a month now, so I thought it might be a good time to talk about why it?s the best version of the worlds most popular operating system.

First of all, there?s some hometown pride here ? it was a well known secret that Windows XP was code named "Whistler" in its development due to the fondness that Microsoft execs have for our home town. Fewer people know that the next major upgrade for XP is code named "Longhorn," and the next version in the works after that is "Blackcomb."

Secondly, XP just works better.

http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/home/howtobuy/choosing2.asp

Windows XP comes in two different versions: "Home" and "Professional". The only important differences between the two is that the Professional version supports dual processors, and has the ability to connect to a WinNT domain.

The basis of XP is that it is written as a 32-bit WinNT kernel, which is far more reliable than Windows 98 or Millennium Edition versions, which are 16-bit over 16-bit. Basically 98 and ME are fake 32 bit programs.

The major difference between 98/ME and XP is that XP (and NT4/Win2000) doesn?t allow programs to write to certain areas of the memory, because writing to the wrong areas often results in unrecoverable system crashes. If a program that you are working in crashes, it won?t cause your whole system to crash ? just use Task Manager (Alt + Ctrl + Del) to shut down the offending program.

Since I installed XP I haven't crashed once. A couple of programs had some small problems, but once I restarted them everything was fine. That means that you will never see the dreaded "Blue Screen of Death" ever again!

Windows XP also uses NT file system (NTFS). The difference between NTFS and FAT32 or FAT16 is that NTFS saves duplicate copies of the file tables in several areas of the disk so that a disk error won?t render all the information on the disk useless.

http://www.bsa.org/resources/2001-05-21.55.pdf

The most talked about feature of Windows XP is the built-in anti-piracy feature. Software piracy cost the software industry approximately $11.75 Billion in 2000 ? that?s an incomprehensible amount of money and it is understandable that Microsoft is interested in slowing it down as much as possible.

I agree that it is quite a large problem and I think it is a great idea to make it harder to copy software ? but only if it brings the price of software down.

For XP, Microsoft came up with Product Activation, a way to prevent causal copying of its operating system. Basically, XP generates a 50-digit code from monitored hardware in your computer and links that number with your registration number, creating a unique number for each computer in the world, which is stored in your computer and in Microsoft?s database.

If you try to install the software on a different computer that doesn?t match the code from the original computer it renders the previous activation useless.

Since the 50-digit code is generated by the monitored hardware inside your computer what happens to you if you change some of your hardware?

Microsoft says that you can change six pieces of hardware in your computer without having to reactivate your version of XP. I have read several different reviews of the OS by reputable magazines that have tested this and found it to be true. Chances are that you won?t be changing six things in your computer anytime soon, so you shouldn?t have to worry too much about it.

http://download.microsoft.com/download/whistler/Utility/1.0/WXP/EN-US/UpgAdv.exe

The only other problem with XP is that it isn?t compatible with some types of hardware and software. To find out if you?re going to have problems, download the upgrade advisor to find out if you are able to upgrade to Windows XP.

I had about half a dozen software problems with my computer. They were all drivers that wouldn?t work under XP. Once I downloaded the new drivers I was up and running with no problems, other than the fact that my ATI Radeon VE video card didn?t have a XP compatible version for the DVD software. So I can?t watch any DVD?s until ATI gets it figured out and finishes writing the new software. (Note to ATI ? fix it soon so I can watch "The Sopranos Season 2" on stunning DVD in 5.1 surround sound!)

http://download.microsoft.com/download/whistler/BVT/1.0/WXP/EN-US/BootVis_file.exe

Use this tool to help improve your boot times. It will go over everything that your computer goes through on startup and help you get down to a sub 30-second boot up.

http://www.winsupersite.com/default.asp

This is the best site I have found for Windows XP. It has almost everything you would want to know but were afraid to ask about Whistler, Longhorn or Blackcomb versions. They also list several different tools and utilities that enhance your Windows XP experience.

The bottom line is that 95 per cent of my programs load in a fraction of the time that they use to take in Windows 98. The 32-bit architecture is reliable, and I don?t know how I lived without super-fast boot times.

My advice is to go out and buy yourself a copy of Windows XP. It?s definitely worth the money.