Introduction

The new version of Windows represents an significant change from the older version. While Windows95 was released the consecutive versions had only been an evolution from the original version, nevertheless on this occasion a more important change was produced because the very center or Kernell of the operating system has been changed. Although it may seem to the user that no major changes were made, it could be said that WindowsXP is not just another version of Windows but basically a whole new system. Windows 98 and Windows NT/2000 were two different operating systems, for Microsoft till now. Windows 98 for personal or domestic use and Windows NT/2000 for the business and professional environment. WindowsXP produced the union among both versions; To create WindowsXP the center of the operating system Windows 2000 was divided, and some adjustments were done to distinguish WindowsXP Home Edition and WindowsXP Professional. The main advantage of this approach for the home users is going to be that WindowsXP has acquired the robustness and strength of WindowsNT/2000, which should imply that there will be fewer occasions when we have to restart the system as a result of an error, and Windows XP will crash less time. WindowsXP has greater compatibility with the hardware than WindowsNT/2000,this development done for professional users.

New user system

WindowsXP has a new user system entirely different from Windows98. This new system has been inherited from Windows NT/2000. Different users with independent profiles can be defined. This means every user can have different permissions that will permit him to carry out certain tasks. Every user will have a different start menu and it's own my documents folder that will be able to be protected by password. There can be folder which can be access by all users and documents which want to share it can be placed in that folder. For example, a Father user type that has access to all Internet and a Son user type that is not permitted to certain brutal or sexual webpages, can be defined. To jump from one user's account to another is not required to switch off the computer nor that a user closes what he was doing, one must simply begin a new session with another user and later it's possible to go back to the other session which will stay in the same state it was left. The system handles the different active users without interferences.

Improvements in Windows Explorer

The new Windows Explorer has turned out quite superior. It's better integrated to Internet Explorer. It is not necessary to install any extra program to record CD's, CD's can be burned by just dragging and dropping from the explorer to the recording unit. To show the pictures Filmstrip is the better way used in the new window explorer. In this it shows the selected picture in large format and remaining in the reduced format. For Navigation through pictures forward and backward buttons are used.

Other improvements

• The change produced in screens of Windows, the bars, buttons and icons are pleasurable.

• It is easier to configure a domestic network.

• It recovers better from errors. When a fatal error occurs WindowsXP creates a register with all the information regarding the error and gives us the option of sending it to Microsoft to be analyzed.
• WindowsXP more quicker than Windows98.

• The start menu has changed, is clearer and now more used applications are revealed to it's right.

• Task bar is far more efficient while it organizes in groups the programs of the same type, in case, if we have several web pages running, a single Internet icon appears and when it's clicked on it shows all of them to select one.
• To edit films there is a new element called Windows Movie Maker is used. We can insert sound and titles etc. and we can delete scenes.

• The most contentious upgrades is that the product has to be registered within thirty days from its purchase . The activation means that the let Microsoft know that the product was installed in a particular computer so it cannot be installed in any other.