Tuesday, July 13, 2010
Note to upgraders: If you are upgrading to Windows XP from a previous version of Windows, you will be given the choice to "Upgrade" or to "Install a New Copy". UITS recommends selecting "Install a New Copy", since merely upgrading can cause your system to become unstable. Back up your important files to a DVD, CD, flash drive, or Zip disk before installing a new operating system.
Released on October 25, 2001, Microsoft Windows XP is a widely used and supported operating system. Though other versions of Windows XP exist, the two most commonly used versions are:
* Home Edition, which is intended to succeed the Windows 95, 98, and Me family
* Professional Edition, which is intended to succeed the Windows NT and 2000 family
Microsoft has announced that it will provide security patches and updates to Windows XP until April 2014.
Requirements
Microsoft's minimum requirements for Windows XP are a 233MHz processor, 64MB of RAM, 1.5GB of available hard drive space, and an SVGA-capable video card. UITS has found that computers not exceeding those requirements run Windows XP poorly or not at all. UITS strongly recommends that any system running XP have a CPU faster than 400MHz and at least 256MB of RAM.
Why Microsoft created Windows XP
Microsoft created Windows XP in order to update the user interface, add new features, unify the code base between the separate families of Windows, and provide a more stable platform.
Updated user interface
The new interface, Luna, changes the Windows look familiar from Windows 95 and succeeding versions. The new interface is designed to be more intuitive and to aid in keeping screen clutter to a minimum. For example, the standard desktop icons (e.g., My Computer and My Documents) are now located in the Start menu instead of on the desktop.
From: http://ping.fm/rtcZ7
Released on October 25, 2001, Microsoft Windows XP is a widely used and supported operating system. Though other versions of Windows XP exist, the two most commonly used versions are:
* Home Edition, which is intended to succeed the Windows 95, 98, and Me family
* Professional Edition, which is intended to succeed the Windows NT and 2000 family
Microsoft has announced that it will provide security patches and updates to Windows XP until April 2014.
Requirements
Microsoft's minimum requirements for Windows XP are a 233MHz processor, 64MB of RAM, 1.5GB of available hard drive space, and an SVGA-capable video card. UITS has found that computers not exceeding those requirements run Windows XP poorly or not at all. UITS strongly recommends that any system running XP have a CPU faster than 400MHz and at least 256MB of RAM.
Why Microsoft created Windows XP
Microsoft created Windows XP in order to update the user interface, add new features, unify the code base between the separate families of Windows, and provide a more stable platform.
Updated user interface
The new interface, Luna, changes the Windows look familiar from Windows 95 and succeeding versions. The new interface is designed to be more intuitive and to aid in keeping screen clutter to a minimum. For example, the standard desktop icons (e.g., My Computer and My Documents) are now located in the Start menu instead of on the desktop.
From: http://ping.fm/rtcZ7