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operating system deja vu

By Snuffy09 ·
Was looking for something on Labmice.com and I stumbled across their Q & A area. I read a few and thought it was funny how people then were as skeptical about moving forward to XP as we are to Vista/7 today. They also seemed to have similar gripes.

Obviously the posts are old when people don?t want to get torn away from NT or 2000 and migrate to XP and Xp costs $299

Q:What is Windows XP? A:Windows XP is Microsoft's newest desktop operating system for both consumers and businesses. Over the past few years, Microsoft has been building and supporting two completely separate versions of Windows. Windows 95/98/Me was designed for consumers with an emphasis on ease of use, compatibility, and multimedia capabilities. At the same time, Microsoft created Windows NT for businesses who need security, and reliability. (NT version 5.0 is now called Windows 2000). The Win9x and WinNT versions of Windows may look the same, but they have a very different code base, and don't use the same drivers. Windows XP builds on the stability and strength of the Windows NT/2000 Operating System, while incorporating the usability of Windows 95/98. Although Microsoft has referred to Windows XP as a merging of the code base between Windows 95/98 and Windows NT/2000, it has a lot more in common with Windows 2000 (NT 5.0) and is sometimes referred to as NT 5.1

Q:What did you like or dislike about Windows XP? A:I suppose the two most frequent complaints about Windows XP is the new interface and Windows Product Activation. I personally hate the new "Playskool" interface. I half expect a purple dinosaur to pop up and give me instructions. (Shudder) Thankfully, a few mouse clicks will change it back to the "classic" interface. The next thing we hated was Windows Product Activation. Although the web activation was painless and took only a few seconds, it still feels a bit like "Big Brother" and makes us a little uncomfortable. We also had mixed reviews about the "clean" desktop. On the default XP setup, there is only one icon on the desktop - the recycle bin. This is a welcome departure from the multitude of AOL icons and other junk cluttering the Win9x desktop, but over the years we've become accustomed to using the "My Computer", "Network Neighborhood" and "My Documents" desktop icons. (Fortunately, you can get these back with a few mouse clicks) Fast user switching was a disappointment since it doesn't work if you're logged into a Windows 2000 domain. (We haven't tested it using an NT 4.0 domain). On the plus side, we like the built in support for compressed files, the Help system is vastly improved (it even provides hyperlinks to related TechNet articles), the support for digital cameras and scanners is excellent, and there other several smaller "features" that are useful to administrators. For example, we like having the ability to automatically synchronize the time on our laptops using an internet web server when we aren't logged into the domain, and we like the that XP preloads popular printer drivers into the default installation so you won't need to provide your XP installation CD every time you need to print to a new printer. Overall, we like Windows XP as a desktop operating system. To borrow a phrase, it's a small step up from Windows 2000 Professional, and a giant leap from Windows 95/98/Me

Q:Is it worth the upgrade? A:If you are currently using Windows 95/98/Me or Windows NT 4.0, Windows XP will most likely be a worthwhile upgrade. You'll like the speed, security, and stability of XP, but may have some issues with hardware and software compatibility. The new user interface is well suited for non technical computer users, but seems to drive the hardcore computer geeks crazy. (Thankfully you can easily switch it back to the classic Win9x look) Home users may be better off buying a new PC with Windows XP preloaded rather than try to upgrade the hardware and OS on an older system. Businesses and power users that are already running Windows 2000 will probably not see a significant reason to upgrade.

Q:How much will it cost to upgrade? A:Windows XP has a number of pricing schemes, depending on if you intend to upgrade from a previous operating system or if you're installing it on brand new hardware. Windows XP Home Edition will cost $99 for the upgrade version and $199 for the full version. Windows XP Professional will cost $199 for the upgrade version and $299 for the full version.

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Newsflash.

by boxfiddler Moderator In reply to operating system deja vu ...

$299 is a lot of money to a lot of people.

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Yup.

by seanferd In reply to Newsflash.

Of course, there is the old saw about people getting the OEM OS with a new computer. However, the OEM versions frequently leave something to be desired, including the ability to move the OS to another machine.

So, yeah, when that $299 is near half the cost of putting together your own machine, it is a bit disappointing.

I still think MS doesn't get the idea that a cheaper OS will sell more units and raise revenue, but whatever. Look, the OS is an infinite good once it is designed - the price could be pretty low without MS "losing" any money on it. And scrapping the development costs of WGA and similar schemes should drop development cost itself.

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Of course.

by seanferd In reply to operating system deja vu ...

Each first iteration of any MS OS is anywhere from annoying to horrendous. Not until some further revisions or service packs come out are they worth bothering with.

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You discover

by santeewelding In reply to Of course.
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