Microsoft Windows XP (Home Edition)
Starting at: $79.00
CNET Editors' Review
CNET Editors' Rating
- Reviewed by: Matt Lake
- Reviewed on:
- Updated on:
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.
 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 |
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.
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"The most stable Operating System ever" By trompfy
Pros: It has lots of good features
Cons: It isn't compatitable with 64 bit processors or with 4GB of RAM.
Summary: I bought this for my old Dell Inspiron 1501 Laptop because I had Windows Vista on my laptop but it was running very slowly but I don't have that laptop anymore as it died.
"My primary OS for 7 Years" By techseeker2000
Pros: Fast, Friendly, Easy to use
Cons: Prone to getting viruses
Summary: Ok, in 2004, (at that time i was 4) my dad had a gateway 400sd4 laptop with xp home. He had an older gateway laptop (from 2002) that he used as a backup. He surprisingly gave his backup to me and he told me how to use it. It took ... Expand full review
Specifications
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- License qty: 1 user
- License type: Complete package
- Min hard drive space: 1.5 GB
