Microsoft eases switch to XP

zdnet.com. ^ | February 25, 2003

[MeekOneGOP]

Microsoft eases switch to XP
CNET News.com
February 25, 2003, 4:57 AM PT
URL: http://zdnet.com.com/2100-1104-985825.html

Microsoft, hoping to drive greater adoption of its Windows XP operating system, will on Tuesday unveil a new central Web site with revamped tools to help IT administrators make the switch.

The new Desktop Center site includes an updated version of the Windows XP Application Compatibility Toolkit, a set of tools Microsoft devised to assess whether current applications of businesses will work under Windows XP Professional, Microsoft's latest operating system for corporate customers.

Rogers Weed, corporate vice president of Windows product management at Microsoft, said the tool usually helps IT administrators determine that they need to make minimal changes to their existing software roster to run XP.

"A lot of people don't realize that XP is significantly more compatible (with existing applications)," Weed said. "In general, organizations will find 95 percent or more of their apps are fine."

The Desktop Center site also has multiple tools for dealing with the 5 percent of applications that don't make the cut. "We find there are some generic fixes that can address a broad class of the problems we see, and there are tools in the kit to help apply those," Weed said.

Paul DeGroot, an analyst for research firm Directions on Microsoft, said software compatibility has been a minor issue in the tepid pace of corporate adoption of Windows XP.

"XP runs a lot of stuff that Windows 2000 didn't," he said. "There are particular applications you come across where compatibility is an issue, but I don't think it's a show-stopper for Windows XP."

Hardware compatibility has been much more of a factor, DeGroot said. Windows XP requires significantly more memory and other resources than Windows 2000, and many businesses are trying to stretch PC upgrades they made three years ago in anticipation of Y2K. "Large customers hate to go and shake things up on the desktop," he said. "If people are working fine with Windows 2000, they're going to leave them be," said DeGroot.

The Desktop Center site also includes a new version of Microsoft's Baseline Security Analyzer, a tool that checks corporate desktops for the presence of current software updates and patches and for configuration errors that could pose risks.

"We keep investing in tools and information to help customers with deployment," Weed said. "We feel really good about the business case for upgrading to Windows XP, and we want to give customers tools that help them see those advantages."

[CheneyChick]

IBM makes a great laptop - very sturdy - a MUST in a laptop. Congrats!

[jimt]

Can y'all help?

We run heavy duty engineering software all the time without reformatting or other heroic measures - on NT 4.0.

If you don't need USB or InfraRed, you can get a lot better performance without all the BS.

NT 4.0 was designed to run on 486's with 16 MB of memory. On our late model equipment it rocks.

[wiseone]

PowerDrawers,is bloated crap for $40, amcs have this kind stuff free

[pt17]

That you should get her a Mac

I've had every model Mac up to and including the G4 and she would never use any of them.

[Gorzaloon]

That is silly. ANY named brand factory PC has tons of crap on it, Dell or not. I am sold on Dells for lots of reasons.

I bought it for those reasons, too, plus the warranty and in-home service.

But I have some old-fashioned ideas, one of which is that when I pay for something it is my absolute property.

When I buy a car, for example, that does not give the dealer the right to stop at the house every night and rummage through the trunk.

And that is essentially what some of these "Helpful" programs, like support.exe do, not to mention some of the things lurking in XP.

Dell made a decision, not to offer any other OS options. I respect that decision, just as I am sure they respect mine not to repeat the mistake. OK, maybe it is just my quirks, but on a broadband connection I pay for it is going to be all MY traffic, or traffic with my permission only. No going through my dumpster, reading over my shoulder, or otherwise "Phoning Home".

I feel it is like trespassing on property, or breaking and entering, and unlike real-world situations, I cannot shoot someone dead for doing it through my cable connection, but I sure would like to.

[Bush2000]

Time to get divorced.

[Bush2000]

Check out http://www.extremetech.com/article2/0,3973,554793,00.asp for Windows XP optimization tips.

[Bush2000]

I have not been able to run games like Mech Warrior on XP, my son had similar problems with XP.

Here's a tip.

1. Right-click on the shortcut for a particular application.
2. Choose Properties.
3. Choose Compatibility tab.
4. Turn ON "Run this program in compatibility mode for"
5. Select an OS. Modify display settings to appropriate value, if necessary.

[Bush2000]

Anyone who can spare a couple of extra bucks should get their machine custom built locally by someone who's been doing it for a while, and someone who can help with glitches.

And if you want a notebook....?

[ShadowAce]

Then you get an Area-51

[AdA$tra]

True enough. I fully agreed with you about those PC manufacturer provided softwares. Where I disagree is that you say it is a Dell thing. They all put that garbage on home PC's and they all suck for the most part. That is why, as I said above, that I scratch the PC and put the OS on naked or at the very least uninstall as much garbage as I can.

But I have some old-fashioned ideas, one of which is that when I pay for something it is my absolute property.

However: Every single piece of software ever published plainly states in the EULA that the software and/or OS do not belong to the computer owner.

And that is essentially what some of these "Helpful" programs, like support.exe do, not to mention some of the things lurking in XP.

There is stuff lurking everywhere. Even OUTSIDE the Windows world. There is really nowhere to hide regardless of what the Pinguified guys say about their SECURE OS.

[Gorzaloon]

But I have some old-fashioned ideas, one of which is that when I pay for something it is my absolute property. However: Every single piece of software ever published plainly states in the EULA that the software and/or OS do not belong to the computer owner.

Well, I may as well fess up:

I REMOVED THE TAG FROM MY MATTRESS, TOO! :-)

Anything I do to activate that agreement, such as opening a package, etc, I am certain I did under a condition of Diminished Capacity. Because a person who feels as I do about ownership and control of private property obviously would agree to no such thing unless they were drunk or huffing ether. I do not care how many erotic fantasies MS and others have about "rented" software, I flatly refuse to accept the concept because it is absurd. If I pay $250 for Win2000, if I feel like decompiling it, or using the CD as an ashtray, I shall. *IF* if did not really own it, then it makes sense for me to pay a monthly bill and pay fifty cents for the CD. They are not going to have it both ways, at least here. Not while I have a network of a half dozen happy machines running 98SE.

Oh, BTW, Yes, the first thing I did when I got the machine was to neuter and gut it pretty thoroughly. An old rule of mine from DOS (TSR's)days is "Nothing runs unless I tell it to." Amazing how well machines will run on W98 if that rule is followed.

But so far the Linux people have not converted me, either, though I am weakening.

[bribriagain]

Thanks, I'll give that a try. Enjoy your posts, btw.

[js1138]

Suffer.

[AdA$tra]

There actually *is* somewhere to hide..

I must then assume you write and compile all of own Linux kernels and applications.

[Bob J]

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[AdA$tra]

May I ask how many mb is the Intel onboard video?

I am not sure but it isn't much more than a bare bones business grade graphics chip. Perhaps 8Mb, but I am not sure.

[The FRugitive]

I've used windows since 3.1 and XP is the best yet. I think it's great.

I tried Mandrake Linux a couple of years ago and had a horrible time getting my hardware to work with it.

[Cultural Jihad]

Ah, ha! That makes sense. You are just too fast at bringing us these piping-hot articles, that the bakers have to add their finishing touches as you cart them away for us to enjoy. ;)