Now that Windows XP has gone "gold" and been released to manufacturing, people's questions about the new operating system have become a little more urgent. No longer does the next-generation Windows exist only somewhere out there in beta-land; soon it will be a reality users need to a make a decision about.
I've been running various beta versions of the new OS for several months now. This week, I am happy to be running the gold code, meaning that what I experience today on my machines should be exactly what happens when you buy a new machine with XP pre-installed (after late September), or buy the upgrade after its release on October 25.
Members of the XP team have been on the road this week, visiting with editors and analysts, handing out copies of the gold code. They did not, at least in my presence, do any high-fives, but they are very clearly pleased to have a product that's about to ship--and with a billion-dollar marketing push behind it.
I used my meeting to try to clear up some of the questions readers most often ask me about Windows XP. The number of questions means I'll have to spill these across at least two columns, so if I don't answer your question today, come back for the next instalment. And, as always, feel free to email a copy of these columns to your friends and co-workers who are interested in XP.
Here goes:
1. Can I run Windows XP? The general answer is that any machine purchased since Christmas 1999 ought to run XP just fine. Specific requirements are: 300 MHz Pentium II or compatible or better, 64MB of RAM, 2GB of free hard-drive space, SVGA plug-and-play monitor, and a 12X or faster CD-ROM or DVD-ROM drive.
I haven't had any problems installing XP on older machines, but I think the 64MB of RAM requirement is suitable only for people who run no more than two applications at a time--and people who are that boring probably won't benefit from the new "eXPeriences," like digital music and photography support, built into the new OS.
My recommendation? Invest in memory. I am running XP in a variety of memory configurations, and 256MB of RAM or more seems to make the OS most happy. Since memory is inexpensive right now, this is a worthwhile investment.
2. How can I check for XP compatibility on my machine? Microsoft will be distributing, for free, a Windows XP "Upgrade Advisor" that will check your machine for compatibility issues before you spring for the OS. When this is available, it will appear on the XP Web site, as well as any other distribution method Microsoft can arrange. I presume we at ZDNet will make it available as a download as well.
3. Is Windows XP faster than the Windows I am now using? XP seems to be significantly faster than Windows 9x and insignificantly faster than Windows 2000 Professional. However, speed isn't really the thing here.
4. Is Windows XP less crash prone than the Windows I am now using? Now this is the important part: If you are running Windows 9x, you'll find XP to be tremendously more stable than what you're used to. The operating system can be crashed--I've done it--but it's not a regular occurrence. When apps crash, they do so without taking the OS or other apps down with them. In addition, Office XP does a better job of saving data automatically, so the Windows XP/Office XP combination results in a much more stable (and safe) system than the Windows 9x/Office 2000 you are probably running today.
Windows XP is not, however, significantly more stable than Windows 2000 Professional. This isn't surprising, since they share a common foundation architecture.
5. I hear Windows XP must be "activated." What's that? Activation is a form of copy protection, in which each copy of XP must be turned on by registering it with Microsoft. The copy of Windows XP is then uniquely associated with a particular computer, thus preventing pirating of the operating system by using the same disk to upgrade multiple machines.
This is highly controversial. The valid reason is that activation can break and require reactivation, which can be inconvenient. The bogus reason is that people raise the valid issue--and make a big deal about it--because they want to freely copy commercial software.
Microsoft has responded to user concerns, it says, by making activation as seamless as possible. New hardware with XP pre-installed doesn't require activation and should never require reactivation, even if significant changes are made to the hardware configuration.
Up graders will have to activate their software when it is installed; typically, this is done automatically over the Internet or alternatively over the telephone. Microsoft says it's significantly raised the threshold of hardware changes required to force reactivation (which occurs if there are enough changes that XP thinks it's been copied to a new computer). I think Microsoft has been sensitised to this issue, and we'll see how it works out once customers start upgrading to XP en masse. I think people whose real issue is a desire to steal software have blown people's fears of OS activation out of proportion.
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