Every time Microsoft or Apple releases a new operating system, users are faced with a dilemma. Moving up to the "latest and greatest" often means new (and often worthwhile) features. It may also mean older programs and/or peripherals don’t work or need new drivers or patches to function properly. A new operating system is usually supported better (the developer wants to encourage you to upgrade) but may also have bugs that haven’t been detected yet.

With Windows XP, Microsoft has combined its business operating system, Windows NT/2000, and its home operating system, 95/98/Me into one neat package. There are two versions—XP Home at about $100 and XP professional at about $200 (upgrade prices—add $100 for full versions). Unless you’re running a large business and are concerned with LAN security issues, you can get everything you need with XP Home.

Do You Qualify?

Only Windows 98 and Me qualify for an upgrade to XP Home. Windows 98, Me, NT and 2000 qualify for the XP Pro upgrade. Microsoft recommends upgrades only for newer computers (less than two years old). To see if your existing system is a good candidate for an upgrade I recommend you go to the Microsoft site and get the on-line upgrade advisor. However, I don’t recommend you do this unless you have DSL or cable Internet. It is a 30+Mb download and will either take many hours or fail if you try to do it with a 56k or slower modem.

The XP Difference:

There is so much new in Windows XP that it is impossible to cover it all in the space available. Here are a few highlights:

• The icons are gone from the desktop and the start menu has been redesigned.
• It offers many new features addressing digital photography, and digital audio and video.
• It has many wizards to help you set up your home network, burn a CD and edit video, to mention just a few.
• It is more stable and more reliable than 98/Me especially in the way it handles system resources like memory and hard disk space.
• It recognizes more plug and play devices and plays more games than NT/2000.

There are already many third party programs that make XP multimedia features do even more.

And Now For WMP8

XP adds many features to its Windows Media Player Version 8. Now Media Player supports video playback and, if you have a DVD with a decoder installed, you can watch full screen DVD movies. It provides an audio CD burner, allowing you to mix your own CD’s and you can also transfer music to a portable player. It doesn’t do MP3 encoding but allows you to add an encoder. Several are available in the $10 range. XP has improved its Movie Maker digital video editing capabilities, but it still won’t do what a full-featured video editor will do.

Networking Made Easy

XP has a Network Setup Wizard that makes setting up an in-home network as easy as it can get—it spells out, auto-configures and diagrams exactly how to create the network you want. It will show you how to network computers that are not running XP. It even includes a rudimentary firewall to protect your network from Internet hackers.

And The Reviewers Say

The reviews on the Internet were consistently good. The security hole that got so much publicity is fixed. The negative reviews I read trashed Microsoft in general and dwelt on the activation process and the cost rather than problems with XP. An excellent first-person description of an upgrade was written for the February 2nd, 2002 Seattle Times by Linda Knapp. Get a back issue of the paper or read about it at The Seattle Times.

The Proof Is In The Upgrade

I first started using and researching XP about two weeks ago so that I could write this article and either recommend or discourage an upgrade. I knew the Quid’nunc Techs, Gary, Dan and Danen liked XP. They had been installing it on all of our new computers and had hands on experience. How though, would upgrading work on older computers?

I started with a machine I had just put together out of accumulated parts and installed XP Pro on it. It had an AMD 550 Athlon CPU and standard hardware. The installation went flawlessly. I loaded new games, old games, applications and graphics software. Everything ran. I was impressed. This however, was a clean installation (there was nothing on the hard drive when I loaded XP). How would things go if I loaded an XP upgrade over a current Me or 98 installation?

In the next newsletter, I’ll give you a blow-by-blow description of what it was like to upgrade at least one of my other three computers. For now, I’ll tell you some of what the upgrade advisor told me to expect.

The first two computers I tested were running Windows Me. On my newest and fastest computer I was quite surprised to find that it contained new software that would not allow the installation to continue. I also received many warnings about programs that presented no problems on the AMD computer described previously. On another machine I got almost no warnings although the software on it was very similar. However, what stopped me from loading XP on it was lack of hard disk space. Its 3 gig hard drive didn’t have the 1.5 gigs of free space necessary for the installation. I then ran upgrade advisor on an AMD Duron 800 running Win 98 that I use for my music and graphics. The upgrade advisor found only three areas of concern. I was able to find drivers for these three devices that were XP compatible. In summary—the machine that I was most concerned about had the fewest issues, and my newest and fastest machine wouldn’t allow me to continue the upgrade without removing software.

After researching and using XP I’ve decided to upgrade all my machines to XP. I am however, going to do all clean installs—not just load XP over an existing operating system. (Many reviewers recommended this approach.) That way I can get all the hardware running and then install each of the programs I use, dealing with problems one at a time. Right now I’m convinced that, if your machine qualifies, XP is the way to go.
— Bill Konertz

Have you ever wanted to take your laptop out in the backyard on a nice summer day, but you couldn’t because the wire that connected you to the Internet hub wasn’t long enough? Have you wanted to have a computer in your garage/office and be able to access it late at night from your bedroom? Have you wanted to connect all the computers in your house for gaming, but didn’t want to run wires from the kid’s bedroom, to the rec room to the office? There is a solution. Wireless networking.

Meet The Standard

With the adoption of wireless standard IEEE 802.11 all of these things are possible without wires. This new standard has increased the range and bandwidth of the radio frequencies that carry your information from point to point. This allows communication between computers over 1000 feet away. If you purchase wireless networking components, make sure they meet the IEEE 802.11 standard.

The New Look and Lingo

Any network consists of two types of hardware:

In a wireless network the card you put in your computer has an antenna sticking out the back instead of a wire. These cards come as both PCI cards and ones that use the USB port. In general the PCI cards give better performance. Laptops can use either USB devices or PCMCIA cards.

In wireless networks we no longer have hubs, we have access points, bridges and routers.

• An access point keeps track of the various computers on the network using network addresses and sends information back and forth. Theoretically an access point can keep track of over 200 computers. Realistically, the current bandwidth only allows 20 to 30 computers to operate at one time. This meets the needs of all but the Bill Gates’s among us.
• The router adds the capability of connecting your network to a cable or DSL high-speed modem. It provides an RJ45 port and is able to route Internet information to the various computers on your network. A router also functions as an access point.
• The bridge can communicate with another bridge up to 1000 feet away. It too acts as an access point. You could, therefore, have a network in your office at one end of your property and communicate with your home network at the other end.

If you currently have a wired LAN you can add an access point and add new computers without adding wires. The possibilities are endless.

Ka-Ching $$

The one drawback to wireless networks is cost. The network adapter is $60 - $100, and the access points, bridges and routers are priced from $175 to over $400. Mostly what you get for more money is more speed potential. Home systems, however, can rarely benefit from the higher-priced, faster equipment. A wireless, two-computer home or office system will cost $300 or more compared with $100 - $150 for a wired system. Prices have dropped dramatically in the past year, and as the technology catches on, should drop further.

Quid’nunc will be selling both Linksys and SMC network cards and access points. If you are thinking of networking computers come in and pick our brains. Wireless may be the way to go.

New Spring Classes!

Stay tuned for a new, expanded class schedule (including classes in Works, Excel and Word) starting in the Spring. We will be using the Senior Center’s new computer lab (outfitted by Quidnunc).

All new computers now shipping with Windows XP!

4306 SW Oregon Street - Seattle, WA USA 98116
One block north of California Avenue SW and SW Alaska Street
Tel: 932-8795. Fax: 932-8183   quidnunc@quidnunc.net

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