Windows XP mini preview

For those of you who do not know Windows XP, I going to say a few words about once I evaluated the 2535 version.
Windows XP comes in a single autoboot CD-ROM, like all the last versions.
Installation process.

fat or ntfs
install

The first thing to see is a windows 2000 like installation with a better partition manager to create or delete partitions on your hard disk. You could choose install Windows XP on NTFS or FAT32 filesystem.

winxp
winxp

It begins to install slowly, with a multicolored screen ( I thought the best impovement in Win XP are: the multicolored big icons for kids )

Network configuration screen.
Includes a FIREWALL!!!  at last Microsoft included a firewall on their system ( tired of being hacked? )
Another interesting new service is Remote Printing Protocol, that allows you to print a document over internet

winxp
winxp

Here I faced the first Error, Could not fount library ......dll, I pressed Ignore and continue, (remember this is only a n evaluation version, bugs are included for free)
winxp
winxp

Welcome to Microsoft Windows familiar screen text, and Ready to Activate Windows? This is the last Microsoft anti-piracy strategy, once installed you have to register your serial number and the software will check the Microsoft Database via internet. If you don't want to register, it will cease to work in 60 days. Of course I don't want to activate it. I will reinstall it every 60 days to protect my privacy. :]
 

The operating system is installed

It detected well all my hardware, AMD Thunderbird 800, Gigabyte Mainboard, SBlaster AWE 64 ISA, VGA Riva TNT2 32Mb, etc, and it was very easy to configure internet conection for my DSL using a single screen to type the DNS, gateway, IP and Mask.

User selection

This is the user selection screen, I created 3 users and the menu is displayed at start and when the screensaver goes off

Win XP running

A nice desktop image and a menu-for-dumbs makes your clicking job easy.
It's different from win9x or winME, menus are a bit changed and more graphical. Advanced options are hidden and I see that it's oriented to the usual family. Daddy prints his accounts from home to laser printer at the office. Mom reads magazines and chats using integrated MSN, the son plays games and listen to MP3 audio files, and daughter, writes e-mails and navigate using outlook and explorer.
All I mean is that all the microsoft software have been hard-integrated to the system.
Java is not on windows XP, you have to download 5 Mb to use it, ( a pain in the ass for modem users )
Media Player 8, Movie Maker, Internet Explorer 6, MSN, Remote assitance tools, speech, are then main software on this new Windows XP.
 

 Final Words

It's clear that Microsoft strategy it's to keep the system easy to use, and to avoid "system crashed because user-malfunction press any key to kick his ass". They have a large experience and I'm sure they improved this by hidding options in the menus (this is a really easy way). In the other hand they included a Firewall, why didn't include a virus-scanner ( a must have these days ).
What about hackers? WinXP is not released while I'm writing this lines, but hackers are fast! take a look.
Let's give Linux a chance.