Microsoft Windows XP (Beta 2) Review
By: Arie Slob
Company: Microsoft
Version: Windows XP Professional (Build 2462)
Review By: Arie Slob
As you probably know, Beta 2 of Windows XP was released a few weeks ago. I've installed the software, both as an upgrade to Windows Me, and as a clean install on an empty hard disk.
In case you missed it, Windows XP is the first Microsoft OS to combine the Windows 9x code base with that of Windows NT. It will ship in several versions: Personal, Professional, Server, and Advanced Server. There will also be 64-bit versions of Professional, Server, and Advanced Server for users with Intel Itanium (IA-64) machines.
The most significant change from the Beta 1 release is the overhaul Microsoft gave the GUI (Graphical User Interface), which in Beta 2 uses the new "Luna" interface.
But before we start exploring any further, let me show you the (minimum) system requirements (according to Microsoft):
- 233 megahertz (MHz) Pentium or higher microprocessor (or equivalent)
- 64 megabytes (MB) of RAM (128 MB of RAM recommended minimum; 4 gigabytes (GB) of RAM maximum)
- 650 MB of free space on a 2-GB hard disk If you're installing over a network, more free hard disk space is required.
- VGA monitor
- Keyboard
- Mouse or compatible pointing device
- CD-ROM or DVD drive
- Pentium II class processor
- 128MB RAM
- 4GB hard disk (with around 1.5-2.0 GB free space)
- 12x CD/DVD drive
- 56K modem
According to various sources, even Microsoft won't be "pushing" Windows XP as an upgrade option, but will instead focus on Windows XP pre-installed with new systems.
Differences between Home and Professional
There are a number of differences between the Home and Professional versions of Windows XP. Most have to do with Security, Management, Networking, File System and more. There are a number of important feature differences between Home and Professional, from a "home" users point of view. First of all, you need the Professional version to use the Multiple Monitors (MultiMon) feature that lets you share a desktop between two or more monitors. (That feature is currently available in Windows 98, Me & 2000). The Home edition is also missing the Microsoft Fax services. Some features that depend on the NTFS file system only appear in the Professional version, such as Automatic System Recovery, the new Backup utility, the file system encryption, and content indexing (although NTFS as a file system is available in the Home version). Remote Desktop is another feature not available in the Home edition.
According to Microsoft there will be an upgrade option from Windows XP Home edition to the Professional edition. I would suspect that most Windows 98/Me users would use the Home edition upgrade, while Windows 2000 Professional users would upgrade to Windows XP Professional. (In fact, Windows NT and Windows 2000 can only be upgraded to Windows XP professional).
Microsoft hasn't released any price details yet, so speculation about the selling price is pointless. Pricing is usually announced until after the product has shipped for manufacturing. That could be somewhere in August/September, since Microsoft announced that Windows XP will be available for purchase on October 25th.