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AnchorDesk

David Coursey
More of your top Windows XP questions answered (Part Two)

David Coursey
Executive Editor, AnchorDesk
Tuesday, September 4, 2001
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Today, more of your Windows XP questions answered as best as I am able. I have sent some questions off to Microsoft for specific answers, and these will be addressed in a future column. If I get enough questions--and enough people read these columns--I will probably do another XP Q&A this week and maybe one a week until the Q&A format seems to run out of steam.

Here's more of what you need to know about XP:

  • Which version of Windows XP should I use? There are two versions of Windows XP: Home and Pro. The one you are most likely to run into is the Home version, intended for general use and less expensive (by about $100) if you purchase it. Fundamentally, the two versions are the same. The main differences: The Pro version supports multiple processors, enables you to access your desktop remotely, and provides the sorts of management features some IS types swoon over.

    Here are specific features unique to XP Pro:

    IntelliMirror, a desktop settings and software administration package for corporate networks; group and local desktop policy management; roaming profiles; domain membership; personal Web server; remote desktop access; multiprocessor support; advanced security settings; encrypting file system; and file-level access control.

  • How does XP stack up as an operating system for gamers? If you are happy with how your games perform under Windows 9x/Me, then don't immediately switch to XP. Microsoft itself says XP only rates "very good" on performance and compatibility compared to "great" for Windows 9x/Me. However, on reliability--fewer crashes--XP rates "great" compared to "poor" for the older Windows versions. XP will improve as drivers are tuned and the game companies start writing apps specifically for the new OS. In short: If your games aren't crashing (and you are otherwise happy with what you're running), don't change your setup until XP has matured a bit.

  • How compatible is Windows XP? Microsoft says that over 90 percent of Windows 2000/NT and Windows 9x applications distributed in North America in the past three years already work on XP. I have not run into any applications that don't run and will see if I can find some examples to share with you.

  • OK, but what about device compatibility? Windows XP supports 12,000 devices in the box, covering the top 1,000 best-selling devices sold during calendar year 2000. More than 300 devices already have the new XP logo--meaning they've been subjected to a higher standard of testing. Well-written Windows 2000 drivers run fine under XP.

  • That's fine, but what doesn't run? My HP multifunction printer/scanner/fax, for one. Scanners, video capture cards, CD writers, and USB Web cameras are all trouble spots right now. (My Logitech Webcam runs fine). The Windows Upgrade Advisor, which Microsoft will make available as a free download, should catch these troublemakers before you actually buy the new OS. Most of these devices will get XP drivers, but it may take a while.

  • Can you tell me more about activation? Here are some additional details on activation for Windows XP. This does not apply to Office XP, which seems to be fussier about activation than the new OS. A number of readers have asked about what has to happen before they have to "reactivate" their copy of Windows XP, which may involve a telephone call to Microsoft (open 24/7 in the United States).

    Windows XP will look at 10 different system components, if they are present. As long as your network interface card isn't changed, at least six of the components must be changed before reactivation is required. Changing the same component repeatedly counts only as one change. Adding additional components doesn't count as a change.

    The majority of new PCs will have activation linked solely to the BIOS, and as long as that remains the same, the entire rest of the PC could be changed without requiring activation.

    Microsoft promises that no personally identifiable data is transmitted during activation. "The majority of Windows XP users will never experience activation," Microsoft says. However, all upgraders will, so we'll have to see if it works out as painlessly as Microsoft promises.

That's today's batch of questions. You can send questions to me directly (david@coursey.com), and while I can't answer you personally, I will add the most common and most interesting questions to a future column and will pass the ones I find perplexing over to Microsoft for a response, also in a future column. I hope you find this helpful as you consider the role Windows XP will play in your future.

Do you have any more XP questions? TalkBack to me.

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