Advantages: Many features, reliable, OEM version is priced well.
Disadvantages: Vista is out, DX10 not supported (not currently an issue)

...Windows XP is the most commonly used version of Microsofts popular Windows operating system or OS. It is feature packed and has low requirements so it will run on most PCs. The Look Microsoft has really jazzed Windows XP up compared to the previous dull grey looks of Windows 2000. As soon as you boot into the Windows interface you will be greeted with a friendly blue Welcome screen with the colourful new Windows logo. To begin you simply click your username, which will be displayed along with a little picture of your choice, you can pick from a car, frog to a cute dog or add your own picture if you prefer. Once you have entered your password and clicked the green enter button you will be taken to the new Windows Desktop. Here the new look is also in full effect as we get a new blue Taskbar with a bright green Start button, along... Read review

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Advantages: internet Explorer 6, Windows Media Player 8, More Reliable, Compatible with nearly everything, it looks and feels great, Totally Customizible
Disadvantages: Costs around £75

...go to a place like micro direct and planet micro you can get the OEM version which will set you back around £70. All operating systems are this price so you shouldnt really complain. Appearance - - - - - - - - - Windows XP looks and feels great to use (i need somthing to look great before i feel comftable with it). Everything is fully customizable including the Screen saver, desktop, colours, sounds and even the start menu is changable. You can even make menus fade in and out which looks brilliant. Changing sounds is easy, and when you perform a task you can have a sound of your choice playing, but that can become very annoying. All this customizing is done in the control panel. Features - - - - - - - - Reliabilty is a main reason why i bought XP as ME and 98 regulary crashed and nothing was compatible, so i had to upgrade... Read review

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Advantages: Stability
Disadvantages: Expensive

...Tough Microsoft Windows Vista is a super star for Windows lovers, I see Microsoft Windows Experience (XP) still exists in its fans’ personal computers. Since XP was launched, the operating system (OS) has been revised twice, namely XP Service Pack 1 and XP Service Pack 2 – and some resources say that Service Pack 2 (SP2) is the last revision or update for XP, and Microsoft is concentrating on their new popular OS – some Vista editions. And some XP users who have purchased the earlier versions of XP, they can download the SP2 on Microsoft official site. Certainly this service is free of charge! WHAT MICROSOFT SAYS ABOUT THEIR SP2 Top 10 reasons to install Windows XP Service Pack 2 (SP2) 1. Help protect your PC from harmful attachments. By alerting you to potentially unsafe attachments, Windows XP Service Pack 2 (SP2) helps... Read review

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Advantages: stable o/s, easy to upgrade
Disadvantages: possible long download times to update if you have a slow Internet connection

.... Nowadays I have a machine at home running Windows XP Home and a laptop from work (I travel a bit) running Windows 2000 Professional. I took some advice from our IT staff at work, who recommended Windows XP as a relatively stable platform, echoing my own thoughts. They were also able to confirm that it should be possible to ‘upgrade’ (loading the new software directly) rather than to start from scratch by formatting the hard disc and losing all the other programs and user data already on the machine. RESEARCH Web-based searches indicated that, to use Windows XP Home Edition, there is a minimum system requirement: PC with 300 MHz or higher processor clock speed recommended; 233 MHz minimum required;* Intel Pentium/Celeron family, AMD K6/Athlon/Duron family, or compatible processor recommended 128 MB RAM or higher recommended (64MB... Read review

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Advantages: Improved performance, new features, tighter integration
Disadvantages: Cost upgrading from earlier versions

...I recently upgraded my operating system on my Dell Inspiron 8100 (see earlier Op) from Windows ME to Windows XP Professional. This was necessary because on several occasions Windows ME crashed for no apparent reason and I was forced to do a complete hard disk format and reinstall all my software. Fortunately I had taken the precaution of backing up my most sensitive data onto and external Iomega 80Gb hard drive; however, I had no option but to re-install application software from the original CD disks. This took ages. Cost of upgrading varies. Windows XP Professional is priced at about £160 (academic upgrade £80). Windows XP Home edition costs about £80. Windows XP upgrades are readily available online from retailers like Amazon or Microwarehouse. My copy was delivered next day after making the order at 5.00pm... Read review

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Advantages: Quite easy to install / setup
Disadvantages: Security not fully enhanced until at least service pack 2 is installed

...Windows XP Professional operating system was developed by Microsoft for use in the home or office for a variety of different computers I.E Desktops, laptops and Pda's. Windows XP is next in the line after windows 2000 and ME. It was released in 2001 and is widely known for its improved security and efficiency. Windows XP can run two different service packs (SP1 and SP2), most people will have SP2 for the added security. SP1 was released in 2002 with the added features of a USB 2.0 (devices running faster when plugged into usb port on your computer) and the ability to be able to control the computers default setting for some applications such as your web browser or sending IM (instant messages, such as MSN). SP2 was released in 2004 with a lot of added security features (better firewall and wireless security). Also it made your... Read review

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Advantages: very good stability
Disadvantages: Not Good for advanced users

...say it… Windows IS bloated. It's got those preschool looks to it now, unless you set it to classic. It comes with things I’d never use, like MSN Explorer, MSN Messenger, Windows Media Player, and Outlook Express. I may use MSN messenger, but I only use it in Trillian. The MSN program looks a lot like XP when you first install it, which reminds me a lot of AOL, the Internet newbie browser. I used to be a Windows Media Player fan, until I found Winamp, the elite media player. It's visualizations are 1000x cooler; it’s got tons of skins, uses way less RAM than WMP, and uses ZERO % CPU to play my MP3s. MSN Explorer – nobody would ever use if they had IE sitting right there, come on, Microsoft! And don’t get me started on Outlook. Windows XP is a very stable operating system. My friend went 2 weeks before rebooting on a Pentium 3, I seem... Read review

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Advantages: it is fast and realiable and safe.
Disadvantages: none yet.

...Most of us will have heard of Microsoft, wether it is from playing there games, to using there operating system, and we may as well say, every pc you buy in any shop in the high street now adays has a Microsoft operating system installed in it. we have gone from the very very old 3.1 Windows version, upto windows 95, through windows 98, upgrading to windows 98se, and them windows millenium edition, and we are now at windows xp. i am guessing that all home personal computers will have Microsoft xp - Home Edition installed on it, so i am guessing you know what this operating system is. it is basically what makes your pc operational, as in software terms, because without a os, or Operating System, your pc would just sit there idel, twiddling its thumbs and fingers. So Windows xp is one of the latest operating systems around... Read review

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Advantages: Very stable compared to previous MS Windows versions
Disadvantages: Not great compatibility

...Windows XP is far better than it's predecessor Windows ME (discounting win2000 as it is really for networks). It is slightly slower, but has far better visuals and many more features. Windows XP Professional is built on the core software code used in Windows 2000 and Windows NT Workstation. This code, known as the NT kernel, makes Windows XP more powerful, secure, and stable than Windows Me, Windows 98, or Windows 95. If you’ve used those systems in the past, you’ll notice a dramatic advantage: even if a program crashes, in most cases your computer will keep running. This really is true ctrl-alt-del actually does something now! Windows XP Professional has a fresh visual design with its cool blue and green taskbar and a wonderful new start menu, it is far better than the old simplistic one! The most frequently used applications... Read review

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Advantages: A nice basic operating system, a few cool features.
Disadvantages: Getting old, programs are too basic for my liking.

...Windows XP, a great long lasting operating system. Although planning to upgrade to vista (Due to its sleeker looks, and to up up with technology) XP is still a great operating system, and has served me well for the last 4 or 5 years. Now as you can already tell this is going to be a very long review, as this is an operating system, and I'm not gonna pull a fast one on this. So lets go over the design of windows XP, for starters if you didn't know what XP stands for, it means eXPerience, good idea right?! Anyways when you first have entered all your details you will be showed with a welcome screen, which welcome has no capital, and actually, looks quite silly. Anyways, here will list your current users, you can click on them (And enter the password if you have one, for extra security) You will then be presented with a screen called... Read review

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