Windows XP combines the best features of Windows NT/2000 and Windows 95/98/Me. From the former it gets security, stability and reliability. From the latter it gets ease of use, compatibility with a very broad range of hardware, and the ability to run a massive number of applications.

At first glance, that makes it sound irresistible. But despite the undeniable attractions of XP, there are a number of good reasons why you might be better off with your current operating system.
Before you upgrade, ask yourself the following questions:

Will XP run on my existing system?

XP is a hardware hog. The base system I recommend for running Windows XP comfortably is a Pentium 300MHz (or equivalent) with 256M RAM and at least a couple of gigabytes of hard disk space to spare. You can get by with 128M RAM, but I've found having 256M or more makes a big difference.

The new, friendly interface sucks up a lot of graphics power, too, so if your system has an old graphics card with no more than 8 megabytes of video RAM, you'll probably want to upgrade it to a faster card with 32MB RAM.

geekgirl.technote: video ram

If you didn't already know it, graphics cards have their own random access memory (RAM) built onto the card to handle graphics processing tasks. This takes the weight away from the main system processor and memory. There are different types of graphics memory and different terms, such as VRAM (for Video RAM), WRAM (Window RAM) and SGRAM (Synchronous Graphics RAM). If you'd like to know more about video RAM, check out the PC Guide.

Is XP compatible with my hardware and software?

While XP runs on a broader range of hardware than Windows 2000 and is compatible with more applications, it falls short of Windows 98/Me in this area. If you have a very old, obscure or quirky piece of hardware or software on your system that you can't live without, you should first check whether Windows XP will support it before you install the new operating system.

In particular, Windows XP's support for USB hardware is much less impressive than Windows Me's. If you have any USB devices you should take particular pains to check they are listed on the Hardware Compatibility list or look for updated drivers at the manufacturer's site.

See the section Is my system compatible with XP? for more information.

Does my system qualify for an upgrade?

You can buy Windows XP as a full product or as a cheaper upgrade. Both have identical features, but for upgrade versions you'll need to have a previous, qualifying version of Windows.

Microsoft has determined certain valid upgrade paths. If your system doesn't qualify for an upgrade version of the product, you can still install Windows XP (provided your hardware can handle it) but you'll need to buy a full version of the product, not the cheaper upgrade version.

 To see if you qualify for an upgrade, use the table below.

Current version of Windows Qualify for XP Home Upgrade? Qualify for XP Pro Upgrade?
3.x r r
95 r r
98 ü ü
98 Second Edition ü ü
Me ü ü
NT 3.51 r r
NT 4 r ü
2000 r ü
XP Home ü
XP Pro r

Should I get XP?

If you can answer yes to the preceding questions, your system is ready for Windows XP. But does that mean you should use XP?

For people buying a completely new computer system, the answer is an unqualified Yes.

For those upgrading from Windows 98/Me/NT4, the answer is Yes, provided your hardware is compatible and is up to the task. XP offers a far better computing experience than those earlier operating systems.

If you're running Windows 2000, the reasons for upgrading are less compelling. Both versions of XP – Home Edition and Professional – are built on the Windows NT/2000 core. That means there are few gains to be made in stability and security for existing Windows 2000 users. What 2000 users can gain by upgrading is increased hardware and software compatibility, a revamped interface which has some handy shortcuts, and improvements to some of the familiar Windows 2000 components.

Which flavour – Home or Pro?

Once you've made the decision to upgrade or buy Windows XP, you have one further decision: Which version should you buy?

Windows XP comes in two versions: Home Edition and Professional Edition. Despite its name, Home Edition will find its place in many small offices as well as in homes. If your office is too small for a PC manager or network administrator, you'll probably find Home Edition is all you need.

Professional Edition is a true superset of the Home Edition. With it, you get everything that's in the Home Edition plus a set of administrative and power user features that will make it attractive to larger organisations and heavy-duty users.

What will you find in the Professional Edition that you won't find in the Home Edition? These are the high spots:

 

10 reasons to upgrade

Still wondering whether you should upgrade from Windows 95/98/Me to XP? Here are 10 good reasons to make the move:

  1. Stability. XP is by no means crashproof, but it's close to it.

  2. Efficient support for anyone who shares a computer.

  3. A vastly improved System Restore for resurrecting your system when things go wrong.

  4. The built-in Internet Connection Firewall.

  5. Integrated CD burning.

  6. Smart task-oriented folders.

  7. The intelligent and adaptive Taskbar.

  8. Windows Media Player 8, with its improved performance and sensible organisation.

  9. The extraordinarily flexible and customisable interface.

  10. Smooth ClearType text for laptops and LCD monitors.

 

© 2001  Rose Vines

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