Resources Needed For Win XP

Q314865:

The minimum hardware requirements for Windows XP Home Edition are:

Pentium 233-megahertz (MHz) processor or faster (300 MHz is recommended)
At least 64 megabytes (MB) of RAM (128 MB is recommended)
At least 1.5 gigabytes (GB) of available space on the hard disk
CD-ROM or DVD-ROM drive
Keyboard and a Microsoft Mouse or some other compatible pointing device
Video adapter and monitor with Super VGA (800 x 600)or higher resolution
Sound card
Speakers or headphones

I have a 733 MHz computer (128 MB RAM) loading and running WinXP Pro faster than a 2.1 GHz (512 MB RAM) computer loading and running Win2000 Pro.

I'd therefore say it's a combination of factors... and the key element will be the amount of RAM in your computer. WinXP seems to be more stable than 98SE/98.

I agree with Anna that the upgrade to XP will probably be of benefit.
My similarly configured XP machine boots in about 1/2 the time of my W98 box.

You can run a hardware and software compatability test at www.pcpitstop.com

I would make sure that your printer is fully supported by XP. You can check the hardware list at Microsoft, or check with Brother.
Video cards and modems are another area with limited support for older hardware.