-
CNET editors' rating:
4.0 stars
Excellent
Detailed editors' rating - Average user rating: 2.5 stars out of 2425 reviews
- See all user reviews
Product summary
The good: Streamlined interface; better performance on many systems; easier and more capable networking; integrated CD-R/RW playback and burn features.
The bad: You can install XP on only one machine; piddling discounts for additional PC licenses; nags you to sign up for Passport Web account; multiple-user login screens are often redundant; heavy system requirements.
The bottom line: XP is a worthwhile upgrade from 95/98 or Windows 2000. Unless you need corporate administration tools, XP Home Edition should suffice for most--even for small businesses.
Specifications: License qty: 1 user; License type: Complete package; Min hard drive space: 1.5 GB; ; See full specs
Price range: $88.50 - $182.99
See all products in the Microsoft Windows XP - Home Edition series
CNET editors' review
- Reviewed on: 09/03/2001
- Updated on:11/14/2002
 Editors' note:
On September 9, Microsoft released Windows XP Service Pack 1, a collection of bug fixes and security updates. The service pack also includes a feature that lets you hide some bundled Microsoft applications. Read our full review of SP1 here. |
After a buildup of Hollywood proportions, Microsoft released its final cut of Windows XP, promising that the "biggest release since Windows 95" would end the stability woes of Windows 95 and temper the unfriendly interface of Windows 2000. So is XP worth all the hype? Grudgingly, we say yes. This major upgrade at long last ends the distinction between the corporate (and more stable) NT/2000 Windows and the consumer-oriented Windows 95/98/Millennium. It's spiffier, with both aesthetic and functional redesigns, and features login screens for home and corporate systems alike--something many Windows 95/98 users have never seen. Like any radical overhaul, XP takes some getting used to, but it's hard not to like over time. Microsoft has managed to create an OS that works equally well for novices, corporate users, and enthusiasts. After a buildup of Hollywood proportions, Microsoft released its final cut of Windows XP, promising that the "biggest release since Windows 95" would end the stability woes of Windows 95 and temper the unfriendly interface of Windows 2000. We found the first release of XP expensive and occasionally annoying--nagging screens and pop-up bubbles galore--and chafed at the new license restrictions. But XP Pro offers powerful Remote Assistance tools, administrative controls, and security, and it wraps up the best features of Windows 2000 in an easier-to-navigate package. It's a must-have upgrade from Windows 95/98, but even stolid NT/2000 admins should give the new order a try.
This major upgrade at long last ends the distinction between the corporate (and more stable) NT/2000 Windows and the consumer-oriented Windows 95/98/Millennium. XP provides similar variations of the same OS for both home and business: XP Home and XP Professional editions. On the outside, XP looks radically different from any previous Windows version. It's spiffier, with both aesthetic and functional redesigns, and features login screens for home and corporate systems alike--something many Windows 95/98 users have never seen.
Like any radical overhaul, XP takes some getting used to--we often lost patience with it--but, after time, it's hard not to like the new design. While its new, hand-holding "task-oriented" design may annoy experienced users, Microsoft nevertheless managed to create an OS that works equally well for novices, corporate users, and enthusiasts. Despite hefty system requirements (a Pentium II-300 or faster, 128MB of RAM, and 1.5GB of free disk space), onerous product activation, and some not-so-obvious touting of Microsoft's business partners, you'll want to consider an upgrade--if not immediately, certainly the next time you buy a PC.
- See more CNET content tagged:
- Microsoft Windows XP,
- Microsoft Corp.
User reviews
- Average user rating: 2.5 stars out of 2425 reviews
- My rating: 0 stars Write review
-
Showing 5 of 2425 user reviewsSee all 2425 user reviews
-
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful
-
3 out of 6 people found this review helpful
"Switching to XP was the worst computer decision I ever made"
- See all 2425 user reviews Write review
Submit your review
Where to buy
Microsoft Windows XP - Home Edition:
$88.50 - $182.99
| store | price | in stock? | rating |
|---|---|---|---|
|
$96.93 | Yes |
|
|
$182.99 | Yes |
|
|
$88.50 | No | Not yet rated |
|
PC Progress
|
$109.00 | Yes |
|
