Rating: 
Summary: What do you need to do today?
Review: I could say a lot of good things and bad things about Windows. But when you're selecting system software, you don't need a technical assessment. You need to know whether it meets needs that you have. Since I'm reviewing the upgrade version I'll assume that you're running Windows 98, ME, or 2000K. Maybe 95, though a machine that old probably couldn't handle XP.So, should you upgrade? The short answer is, probably not. Some things about XP are better, some are worse. On balance, XP is just a little more solid than its predecessors. But better enough to justify the cost and hassle of upgrading? Not by itself. If you just love fancy eye candy, then I guess you have to upgrade. For my part, I find that stuff distracting, and when I get an XP system, the first thing I do is turn it off. Besides, a lot of it doesn't work with existing application software. Even some of the software that ships with XP, like some of the optional tool bars, don't support the new look-and-feel. And don't think of upgrading if your existing system isn't performing well with its existing version of Windows. XP makes more demands on the hardware, not less. If your system isn't up to your needs, then you need a new system. Which would include a full version of an Operating System. Should that OS be XP, or one of the alternatives (MacOS, Linux)? That's a subject for a separate review of the full version of XP. I may write that one soon. The one solid reason I can think of for upgrading to XP is this: you have to run some fancy application that won't run what you currently have. That might be an issue if you're currently running Windows 98, since 98 and XP are really different operating systems. But if you're already running Windows 2000, I very much doubt you need to upgrade to XP to run anything.
Rating: 
Summary: Why You Need To Upgrade XP
Review: Now that Microsoft will no longer offer technical support on Windows 95 & 98, you almost have to buy the upgrade, but it is worth it. With Windows 98, I was always having program conflicts and sending it into the store to get repaired. The XP is much more stable and will prevent programs from running if they are in a conflict (meaning you won't crash), but I also can have more windows and activities going at once than before. The appearance is greatly changed to brigher icons and everything 'fits' in my window browser. The layout was simply rearranged colorfully and that's fine, but I don't need little "doggie icons sniffing" when I am 'searching' for a file! XP is also not faster than 98, even though it claims to be. I did have to reinstall or upgrade drivers for the following: Gator, Microsoft Outlook 2000, a fairly new HP printer, my digital camera software and my 2 year old scanner. My Adaptec CD burner program was not compatable and I refused to buy the upgrade, so I just uninstalled it. Windows XP comes with a CD burner program already. I would suggest upgading all your programs and drivers that XP suggests before you install it. Once it's all installed, you'll enjoy it more than Windows 98.
Rating:
Summary: Whoa, big step up from 98 SE
Review: With all the extra features, the stability, the new look, and just about redsigned everything who can say no to this addition to the Windows family. It installed smoothly on my computer, and took just a second to activate it and register. Painless for anyone. A definate buy no matter how much of a computer geek you are.
Rating:
Summary: pretty good but....
Review: i use my computer for mostly games and also for typeing college papers. i dont know all of the techinical details about the product so i am gonna keep it simple. for the most part there is a big improvement from the privious versions. but i own about 50 or more PC games and when i upgraded, about all of them aren't compatible! 50 games is alot of money when your a college student! now all of my games are useless. when microsoft came out with the windows 98 upgrade all of my windows 95 games worked great. now they are useless. besides the fact of games and other programs not being compatible with it, it is a very nice program. If you are not a gamer this is highly recomended. If you are a gamer stick with windows 98, and/or windows ME.
Rating: 
Summary: Big Improvements over ME... but over 2k?
Review: This is a very pretty operating system. It also takes well with networking and user specific settings and such. Even with something simple like a Microsoft based network you'll find this OS performing very well. Ok but then what...? Do i suggest upgrading? Nope. If you already have a solid 2k network or structure then I suggest keeping it unless you just simply want XP. It doesn't quite have everything that 2k offers. Also I do not suggest upgrading for the sake of Hardware. Many types of hardware will find that they are not compatible with XP and you'll have to upgrade device drivers until you're sick. WIth a corporation handling several thousand computers that upgrade to XP and realize that XP doesn't like the NIC cards... that can get really hairy. As well there are many program issues that need to be dealt with. I had such a problem with apps not wanting to work and having to reinstall them and then download XP patches, add in the hardware issues, it seemed I was rebuilding systems from the image up. Stick with 2k unless you're upgrading from something like 98 or ME, if you'd even have ME to begin with... Some of the great upsides is the user handling. It's very similar to 2k (Documents and Settings instead of Profiles) but it gives just a little more control over the users and the way users sign on and off. Changing logins no longer requires a pseudo restart of the system. Professional also does not require registration, unlike Home edition. Once the liscenses are purchased then there is no point in registering a thousand corporate PC's that were probably all imaged to begin with. This isn't anything new over 2k but the XPHome edition would pout and hold its breath until it turned blue in the face waiting for that registration. The system also handles a lot better with program crashes and lockups. Never once have I had it freeze; neither have I seen the Blue screen of death. It uses the error sending screen in place of this. However, it is very sensitive to program's not responding and many times it won't wait for programs to get back up and start running again, it will just shut the app down. A few apps I use have a few instances where they await input from network machines... well XP thought the programs weren't responding and shut them down. I have found it a very stable system as far as it is concerned, many programs have since become unstable in their own right. If you decide to go XP, be cautious, very cautious. You may wind up sending every one of them back and having to rebuild your machines from scratch. Final note: 1 out of 8 times the XP OSunistall has worked (which returns the system to the original operating system, I don't suggest loading XP ontop of another system anyway) but every time the system restore has worked like it's always meant to work.
Rating:
Summary: A solid operating system
Review: For the first time in many years I have been pleased with a Microsoft Windows family OS. When Windows XP came out I obtained what I was really expecting, a very solid, stable and enhanceable system.
Windows XP is based on the Windows 2000 code base with several major multimedia, administrative tools and security enhancements among other things. This is really the closest you can get to a truly standard OS for all types of users, except system administators obviously. We are getting closer to not having different Windows flavors running around anymore. The acceptance of this OS will gradually relieve developers from having to design multi-platform applications, a major headache in the past. As of this writing, Windows 95 has almost been phased out, and almost every piece of software is written for Windows XP (Home and Professional) I've tested this OS on my personal laptop (Thinkpad T-21) and several Pentium family desktops (P-III 750Mhz and P-IV 2.4Ghz) with many different software and hardware combinations without major issues. Software drivers are becoming quickly available for all types of hardware. In terms of software applications, I had to wait a bit longer for a few applications to become XP compatible. As with any OS, the compatibility issues were higher when the OS was released, but now you will not find as many, unless you still own very old pieces of hardware and software. This is in my opinion the primary factor when deciding wether to upgrade or to stay where you are. I will not get into the features of the OS, as they are very well described by Amazon and other reviewers, what I can tell you is what I consider the major highlights of this OS: * Great multimedia features - MovieMaker, Media Player. Windows Explorer has also been expanded with options to manage digital media such as pictures and music. Multimedia devices are installed and configured easier than ever * CD Burning options built in - Creating a music or data CD is as easy as drag and drop. It may not be the most efficient burning system, but its a good place to start * Administrative Tools - The Disk administrator, along with the disk defragmenter are two enhanced tools that I rely on with XP * Windows Update - Microsoft has been updating the OS frequently with many security fixes and tools updates and enhancements. You can set up XP to update your system periodically * Networking - Setting up a network is much easier now. A firewall is also built in as part of the network security features new in XP * System Help - The help tool has been enhanced to search not only locally on the PC but through the Internet as well. General Help Topics are very detailed and descriptive with many illustrations. Great improvement here. * Wizards - Many more settings are performed with wizards. Is like filling an electronic questionnaire, then XP takes over the rest of the configuration steps based on your answers. And simply the looks. Icons are more colorful, and they take advantage of higher end video cards with more color options. You can select display settings to look like the old Windows or the new XP look. In terms of performance, I admit that Windows by design, does not consider low end machines and it may seem slow on low RAM machines. I would definitely recommend having more than 256MB of RAM and a high end Pentium processor (P3 and up) for acceptable performance. Fortunately, there are options to tweak performance settings by eliminating the sometimes unnecessary display effects. I think at this time, you may be assured that Windows XP will be the best choice for you. Don't hesitate to buy it, taking into consideration the points I mentioned above. Recommended
Rating: 
Summary: Upgrade Caveat
Review: I purchased the upgrade version of this product with the intention of replacing my current WindowsME operating system on a Dell Dimension XPS B933. Windows ME had been factory installed at the time of purchase (December 2000). Although Microsoft sales literature states that Windows ME is an acceptable "upgrade target," a successful upgrade could not be performed on my system. Microsoft Technical Support was, well, supportive, but they concluded that the upgrade setup program could not establish that my operating system (ME)was upgradable. Although the upgrade failure did not cause problems with my ME system, potential purchasers now running Windows ME should be aware of potential problems, and should attempt the upgrade well within the 30-day window for returning the product.
Rating: 
Summary: Windows 98 Users Beware
Review: The CompUSA sales representative who sold me the upgrade told me that upgrading from Windows 98 to XP was a simple upgrade. That statement was not true. Before the computer would even installed it, I recieved three pages of warnings about both hardware and software incompatibilities. Of course the store manager would not give me a refund. He stated that they had sold hundreds of XP upgrades without a single complaint. Since I purchased the upgrade, everyone that I have spoken to about the upgrade from 98 to XP told me not to do it due to the problems that users encounter.
Rating:
Summary: Shakier than Windows 95
Review: I run a medium sized corporation and decided to try upgrading from our proven 2000 Pro OS to Windows XP Pro. Well, big mistake; XP has the stability of a beta operating system. After 3 days of running Windows XP Pro we got constant errors of all types. We want back to Windows 2000 Pro and havent had a problem since. Avoid Windows XP Pro at all costs unless you want your computer to be unstable and even ruined your hardware.
Rating:
Summary: A much more stable OS
Review: Windows XP eliminates the need for "reloading windows". A common problem for serious Windows 98 users. The system is considerably more stable thanks to our friends from Microsoft. The stability comes, however, with a price. You will find that you have lost a lot of administrative rights with XP. Not a problem for the average home user. It is a cost well worth the change for them. However, if you like to play with programming. If you would like the ability to customize your OS. I would recommend XP Pro or stay with 98 if cash is tight. My opinion.
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