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Posted
on July 18, 2001 by Paul
"Crazyace" Bouthiller
Conclusion
 The
following statements are my opinions, which are direct
results of information that I have gathered while using
Windows XP. This review was written on the intent to give
you some information on the install process, and a bit of a
comparison if upgrading from a Win9x operating system.
Windows XP feels and looks like Windows
2000. If you are currently a Windows 2000 user, you will
feel right at home with the operating system. If you use any
of the Windows 9x operating systems, you will have much to
learn. There are a lot of different ways to tweak Windows
XP. Things like the device manager are there, just in
different places. After saying this though, XP is easy to
use. One of Microsoft’s intentions was to make it like
that, and it even looks easier to use.
I really like the stability of Windows
2000, but I also like Windows ME. If you are like me, then
you will really like Windows XP. Windows XP combines the
stability of the NT family, along with the usability of the
9x family (in other words, it’s what Win2k was supposed to
be at first instance). It does have its ups and downs, but
overall, I think it’s a good product.
One of the biggest complaints I have is
the installation process, which is defiantly more of a chore
than with a 9x version. If you install operating systems on
a daily basis, this will become a pain in the rear. To me,
the speed thing is also a concern. The desktop moves a bit
slower than a Win9x GUI, and there are still some worries
about gaming performance. Like the benchmarks indicated,
there isn’t a big difference, but any difference to me is
not cool, especially when you are upgrading. Also, I did
have Internet Explorer crash on me one time, but we are not
up to final version yet, so there are still some bugs that
need to be fixed (hell, there are still bugs with Win98!).
Hey, guess what just happened! The
little reminder just informed me to activate in 13 days! The
activation process is a thorn, and it might become a
deciding factor for some people with multiple PC’s.
Windows XP can only be installed on 1 PC without being
activated, and I for one, own more than 1 PC. If you plan on
upgrading your collection of computers, plan on buying a
software package for each, which can get costly.
Okay, with that said here are my final
thoughts. I think Windows XP is a nice operating system. Do
I think it’s revolutionary? No, but it’s pretty darn
good. The new look gets a little cheap looking after awhile,
but you can always change to the classic Windows look with a
click of a button. I have been using it for a few days now,
and I really do not see a need to upgrade from Windows
98/ME. If you are building a new system, then by all means,
install Windows XP. If you think that Windows XP is going to
revolutionize the way you use a computer and surf the web,
wake up and save your money. Thanks for reading.
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