Windows XP Home Edition vs. Windows 98 and Me
Multimedia
Windows XP comes with a host of multimedia-related features, at the centre of which is Windows Media Player 8. This new version adds DVD playback to its already impressive array of features, which include playing streaming video from the Internet, tuning into Internet radio stations, listening to MP3 files and audio CDs, and even burning CDs on a CD-RW drive.
Windows XP Home Edition comes with an enhanced version of the My Music folder, which first appeared in Windows Me and allows you to manage your music files. This version provides better organisational features and takes advantage of the new task-oriented folders feature.
To help you work with and manage digital photos, Windows XP Home Edition comes with the same Scanner and Camera Wizard found in Windows Me. After the Scanner and Camera Wizard guides you through getting your images into your computer, you can use the photo management features in the My Pictures folder, including ordering printed copies of your photos over the Internet.
Windows XP Home Edition also includes the Windows Movie Maker software, which allows you to capture material from audio and video sources, then edit and arrange it to create movies. This application was also first packaged with Windows Me.
Wizard Bottom Line: Nice, but not really worth the cost of the upgrade. If you're running Windows 98 or Windows Me, you can download and add Windows Media Player 8 to your system when it becomes available. As for the My Music and My Pictures folders, they're already available in both to Windows 98 and Windows Me.
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