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Windows XP - a first glance
Suzi Kerridge has been tinkering with the eagerly awaited Windows XP OS. Here are her initial thoughts...

By Suzanna Kerridge

Published: Monday 22 October 2001

Clean and vivid. There, I've said it. These would be the best two words to describe the latest version of Windows which just may be winging its way to a desktop near you soon.

At first glance you might be forgiven for thinking Windows XP Professional is some kind of kiddies' version. The buttons on individual windows are huge, although in some instances they - dare I say it - resemble what we've had for over ten years on the Mac OS.

The overall colour scheme is bright, at least on default settings, and functions are grouped without generalisations and flagged by clear symbols. For example, a user wanting to install programs navigates the Add/Remove program buttons instead of clicking on Tools then Options and so on.

Even the Start button has been given a lick of paint. A two-column set up directs the user to the usual My Computer, My Documents and Programs folders. However, it also offers a few preset applications such as Media Player and Windows Movie Maker - but more on that later.

XP also offers an All Programs cascading menu to access other folders and programs. It is handily grouped alphabetically, which makes navigation a cinch. And you can still create shortcuts by dragging and dropping files and programs from Explorer into the Start menu.

It is this sort of transparency that sets the operating system apart from previous versions. To use a cliché, it is user-friendly even if it is not the most sophisticated looking tool on the market.

However, therein lies a good act of deception by Microsoft. The interface hints at computing for beginners but the functionality reveals that a good deal of thought has gone into the product.

For business users, there are greater levels of manageability. A significant difference is the addition of domains which enable users to make changes from a server using a centralised network management tool. For many SMEs this will be a real cost saver.

The new Help and Support feature takes full advantage of the logical approach to trouble shooting extolled by Microsoft. It offers short topic lists that expand as they are clicked on instead of providing a confusing array of task-driven issues. Help is available both on- and offline with clear links to the Microsoft Knowledge Base.

The Remote Assistance option is a welcome addition. In true 'Who wants to be a millionaire?' style, it lets users email friends for help - which might just save those phone calls offering beer to colleagues or relatives in exchange for a bit of help. A split screen enables the troubled user to be guided through problems or the helper to take over the desktop. True competition for Symantec's pcAnywhere and the like.

Microsoft has also taken into consideration users' need to upgrade hardware, adding a File and Settings transfer wizard to facilitate the transfer of data from an old PC.

Like most migration tools, it won't transfer applications but it will allow personal settings and data files to be copied over. And this may just eat into the market of third party migration tool providers.

Windows Messenger is another controversial feature. For one thing it ostensibly ties users into Microsoft's Passport and Hailstorm web services tools. But on a more superficial side it does feature an integrated webcam allowing users to add pictures to instant messages.

Indeed XP Messenger is Microsoft's great hope to steal market share from AOL and Yahoo's instant messaging offerings. If it is to be successful it might want to do away with the banner ads which inhabit the main window. These are a big turn off.

And so we come to multimedia. Nowhere is it clearer than in the bundled Media Player. Microsoft executives have heavily plugged XP's multimedia functions. The marketing spiel claims they give a "new lease of life" to the desktop system. And there is an ability to store all manner of media files - from radio station tunings to visual clips - in a library for easy access. Which is nice.

Yet a number of issues irk. In order to fire up Windows for the first time it is necessary to go through the activation process. While Microsoft says the motivation behind this is deterring piracy, critics claim it is another way for the software giant to gain more information about users' IT needs.

It is a painless process if carried out online but nevertheless a bothersome extra considering a buyer is already registered. It is also something that has to be carried out within 30 days of installation or the OS will stop working.

Overall though, this is a cleaner, easier to use product than its predecessors. Microsoft has always sold on usability rather than matching the robustness of, say, Unix or Linux. Now it's removed a lot of the guesswork previously required, we'll just have to see how it stands up technically.