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Techno-files
Hype may be deserved for Microsoft’s new XP

By Riley Gay

Get ready. It’s coming. And it looks like this may finally be the one that lives up to all the hype.

After more than a year of development, amid a volley of legal wrangling that has threatened to stop its release, and with a $200 million fanfare, Microsoft is about to break the champagne bottle over the bow of the newest ship in its software fleet.

Windows XP is the latest iteration of Microsoft’s ubiquitous operating system, designed to combine the stability of its business OS, Window 2000, with the usability features found in its consumer product.

The official release is slated for Oct. 25, but the final code was actually turned over to manufacturers last week.

Consequently, if you’re in the market for a new computer, you may just be able to order it with Window XP already installed.

In fact, computer makers, along with Microsoft, expect XP to provide a much-needed shot in the arm for the sluggish PC market, just in time for the holiday sales period.

What this means to the consumer is that not only are PC prices the lowest they’ve ever been, but buyers can now get one with what promises to be the overall best operating system yet available to the home user.

What’s significant about this latest version of Windows is that, for the first time, Microsoft has released an operating system that is designed for both consumer and business users, built on the same code base found in its highly successful, and highly reliable, Windows 2000 operating system.

Of course, business users’ needs are slightly different than those of home users, so XP will be available in two flavors: Home Edition and Professional.

The basic operating system is the same in both versions, but the Professional release includes administrative and security features that  the average home user could do without.

Along with the increased dependability inherited from Windows 2000, XP Home Edition includes System Restore, first introduced in Windows Me, giving you the ability to return to a previously stable configuration should the installation of an application or driver go horribly awry.

You’ll also find a networking wizard to aid you in setting up a home network, Internet connection sharing, a personal firewall, and improved support for digital media and peripherals, such as cameras and scanners.

For business users, Windows XP Professional includes all the features found in the Home Edition, but adds enhanced security features, such as file encryption and access control, the ability to remotely access your data, and multiprocessor support.

In addition to all the nuts-and-bolts improvements, XP also sports a brand new look.

The interface features a fresh new color scheme with redesigned icons, taskbar and Start menu designed to provide a cleaner, and more dramatic, look to the desktop/

One “feature” that’s sure to cause its share of controversy, however, is Microsoft’s “Product Activation” scheme.

Designed to thwart software piracy, product activation requires the user to contact Microsoft upon installation of XP, linking an activation key to the computer on which it was installed.

This ensures that XP can only be installed on a single machine as per the software license.

Many see this as overly restrictive, with the potential, at least, to cause some problems for end users who frequently upgrade or otherwise change their hardware configurations.

For the average home user, though, product activation shouldn’t present any real problems.

Buying a new PC with Windows XP already installed is a good way to make sure you have the right hardware to handle the requirements of this new OS.

If you’re thinking about an upgrade, though, your first move should be to check Microsoft’s web site and see whether or not your present system and components can measure up.

The recommended minimum hardware configuration to install XP is a 300-megahertz (MHz) or higher processor, 128 megabytes (MB) of RAM, and 1.5 gigabyte (GB) of available hard disk space.

Of course, if that’s the minimum, you can bet your computer will perform better if your hardware is up to the challenge.

If you’re currently using Windows 9x or Windows Me, you can upgrade to XP Home Edition for $99. Pricing for the full version is set at $199.

Those wishing to upgrade to XP Professional can do so for $199, with the full version going for $299. All previous versions of Windows, starting with Windows 98 through Windows 2000, can be upgraded to XP Professional.

For those who traditionally take a ho-hum approach to any announcement by Microsoft regarding a new operating system, this one may actually be worth getting excited about. And getting it on a new computer at a great price can make it even better.

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