Microsoft Windows XP

"Windows XP" is known for its improved stability and efficiency over the 9x versions of Microsoft Windows. It presents a significantly redesigned graphical user interface, a change Microsoft promoted as more user-friendly than previous versions of Windows. "Windows XP" has also been criticized by some users for security vulnerabilities, tight integration of applications such as Internet Explorer and Windows Media Player, and for aspects of its default user interface.

"Windows XP" had been in development since early 1999, when Microsoft started working on Windows Neptune, an operating system intended to be the "Home Edition" equivalent to Windows 2000 Professional. It was eventually merged into the Whistler project, which later became "Windows XP". Many ideas from Neptune and Odyssey (another canceled Windows version) were used in "Windows XP".

For those of you who are new to the game, let's start by pointing out that "Windows XP" is a computer program. Specifically, it's a type of program known as an operating system , often abbreviated OS. You may have heard of some of the other operating systems out there, such as DOS, the Mac OS used on Macintosh computers, and Linux and UNIX, used mainly in large businesses. One thing that makes the OS different from all other programs available for PCs is that an OS is required to make your system work. A computer without an OS is like a car without an engine. To that extent, learning to use your computer is really a matter of learning to use its operating system. In fact, learning "Windows XP" is probably the most important first step in learning to use your computer. That's partly because you need to learn to use Windows just to start any other programs you plan to use.

"Windows XP" Editions

The 5 versions of "Windows XP" are as follows

• "Windows XP" Professional
• "Windows XP" Home Edition
• "Windows XP" Table PC Edition
• "Windows XP" Media Center Edition
• "Windows XP" Professional x64 Edition

Another version is Microsoft "Windows XP" starter edition

Which version should I use?

"Windows XP" Professional- Designed for businesses of all sizes and for home users who demand the most from their computing experience, "Windows XP" Professional delivers the new standard in reliability and performance. It includes all the great features and new visual design of "Windows XP" Home Edition, plus premier security and privacy features, advanced recovery options, improved ability to connect to large networks, and much more.

"Windows XP" Home Edition- Experience more than you thought possible with your home computer and the Internet. "Windows XP" Home Edition brings dependability and simplicity to your personal computer. It includes a cleaner, more intuitive visual design, advanced digital media features that make working with digital photographs or playing digital music simple and fun, and many new Windows experiences to explore.

"Windows XP" Tablet PC Edition- "Windows XP" Tablet PC Edition leads the evolution of the notebook computer for businesses of all sizes. Thin and lightweight, but extremely powerful, the new Tablet PC provides the freedom to be truly mobile. By extending pen and speech capabilities, the Tablet PC provides you with a more versatile and natural computing experience. You can use the digital pen to write directly on the screen and control your computer just as you would with a mouse. Use the Tablet PC Input Panel to enter text into any application by using your own handwriting. Plus, the Tablet PC has wireless technologies built right in, so you can use your computer more often and in more places than ever before.

"Windows XP" Media Center Edition- New computers running "Windows XP" Media Center Edition let you experience video, audio, pictures, and TV through a convenient user interface that makes it easier than ever to enjoy digital media. Use the simple layouts and intuitive menus to comfortably enjoy video, audio, pictures, and television on your computer monitor or TV display. In addition, the new remote control for "Windows XP" lets you unleash your favorite digital media experience from anywhere in the room.

"Windows XP" Professional x64 Edition-"Windows XP" Professional x64 Edition is designed to provide faster performance, increased reliability, and flexibility to today's most demanding users, enabling them to run memory- and calculation-intensive applications and processes more efficiently. This new technology arms technical workstation users and cutting-edge home PC enthusiasts with a secure platform that can run new 64-bit applications as well as most existing 32-bit applications for maximum flexibility on a single PC.

"Windows XP" Starter Edition-Windows "Windows XP" Starter Edition is a lower-cost version of "Windows XP" available in Thailand , Turkey , Malaysia , Indonesia , Russia , India , Colombia , Brazil , Argentina , Peru , Bolivia , Chile , Mexico , Ecuador , Uruguay and Venezuela . It is similar to "Windows XP" Home, but is limited to low-end hardware, can only run 3 programs at a time, and has some other features either removed or disabled by default. According to a Microsoft press release, Windows XP Starter Edition is "a low-cost introduction to the Microsoft "Windows XP" operating system designed for first-time desktop PC users in developing countries." It is seen as an effort to fight unauthorized copying of "Windows XP" and possibly the spread of GNU/Linux-based systems in Asia and South America

After using all the versions I think it is safe to use"Windows XP" professional for any kind of user as it is the most stable version. But remember to update all the service pack after installing any version of "Windows XP"!

System Requirements for Windows XP

To install "Windows XP", your computer must meet certain minimal requirements. To simplify matters, Microsoft has designed the following "non-technical" system requirements:

• Minimum of 64 MB of RAM, although 128MB is much preferred. "Windows XP" can handle a maximum of 4GB RAM.
• 233 megahertz (MHz) Pentium or equivalent microprocessor.
• at lease 2 GB or larger hard disk with at least 650 MB free space available.
• good VGA/AGP Card

Those are the official specs as I write this. However, I've found on my systems that once installed, Windows XP eats up about 950 MB of hard disk space. It also seems to eat up more than 64MB of RAM most of the time. So I think the 64 MB lower limit on RAM is probably a bit too tight. These days, RAM is pretty inexpensive. Because too little RAM is often the culprit when a computer runs sluggishly, nowmight be a good time to consider beefing that up if you're using less than 128 MB. If you're not sure whether your system is compatible with Windows XP, you'll find out when you start the installation. Windows XP automatically checks the system for incompatibilities before it changes anything on your hard disk and informs you of any potential problems.

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Step By Step Networking with XP: