Windows XP Update

MISHAWAKA. IT managers always view the release of a major Windows upgrade with a combination of anticipation and fear. While the new version will offer greater functionality and new features, it will almost certainly bring new support challenges.

"BUSINESS LEADERS QUESTIONING what they can expect to gain from Windows XP can stop wondering and start making plans to accommodate the latest release of Microsoft's flagship desktop operating system."

-Infoworld Review of Windows XP

Windows XP is likely to illustrate this duality more than any Windows release in recent years. While Windows 98 and ME were relatively minor upgrades, XP is a totally new release. It incorporates a new desktop style, new networking and telephony features, instant message software, and new anti-piracy features. Many of these are likely to create headaches for technical support staff when users encounter them for the first time, although the promise of greater stability and easier management is alluring.

Microsoft has already backed off on some of the more controversial features in Windows XP. Smart Tags, which would have placed Microsoft-oriented hyperlinks on the text of other firms' web pages, have been shelved for the moment. With its antitrust case still under review, Microsoft has apparently decided to soft-pedal attempts to use its browser and operating system monopolies to muscle into other businesses.

The early reviews of the final release of XP are uniformly positive. Computer publications that have tested the software seem relieved that the merger of the previously separate NT and 9.x tracks is complete, and that much of the legacy code in Windows 9.x is finally history. (See review links below.)

Perhaps the most controversial element in Windows XP is its enhanced anti-piracy protection. The standard version of the software takes a "snapshot" of the system profile of the computer on which it is installed. If this changes substantially, it may render the software inoperative until the user contacts Microsoft. While Microsoft hopes that this feature will prevent users from freely copying their software, both users and technical staffers fear productivity interruptions. While Microsoft hasn't backed down on including this function, they say they will reduce its sensitivity to system changes. This should prevent copying while still enabling systems to be upgraded or repaired without triggering the software-disabling feature. Corporate users can get a version without the complex protection scheme to enable easier deployment and support, but .

Although Microsoft has said that Windows XP won't be available for retail purchase until Oct. 25, buyers will actually be able to purchase the software much earlier if it is installed on a computer. Microsoft will allow PC makers to begin selling Windows XP computers on Sept. 24. Thus, IT managers who expected to have nearly until the beginning of November to get ready for XP will now face the XP challenge later this month - a full month ahead of schedule.

On The Plus Side...

The news about Windows XP is mostly good, though. A recent review by eWeek concludes that XP offers significant advantages over Windows 9.x on the desktop, and recommends upgrading. They expect increases in stability since XP is based on the WinNT kernel, and say that XP offers the manageability features of Windows 2000 without the incompatibilities that the early Win2K demonstrated.

Other features include enhanced remote management, a built-in firewall, better display resolution for laptop users, and faster boot times.

Windows XP Professional will cost $199 in upgrade form, and $299 for new installs. A home version costs $100 less, but lacks some of the features that IT managers will find useful.

CompStar Technologies is a leading Indiana-based provider of networking, technology, and communications services. With offices in Mishawaka (serving South Bend, Elkhart, Warsaw, Michigan City, Fort Wayne, Niles, St. Joseph, and Benton Harbor, Michigan) and Indianapolis, CompStar provides network design / support, network security, wireless networking, business telephone systems, VoIP (voice over IP), and cctv / video surveillance systems. CompStar is the Technology Division of Direct Line Communications, headquartered in Mishawaka, Indiana.

Coming Soon, to a Desktop Near You: Windows XP Update

On The Plus Side...