POSTS
Review by S Smyth
Windows XP Pro is a very good to use and stable operating system providing it’s installed onto a good quality machine. Less than a P4 2GHz and 512 MB of RAM isn’t going to really work out. Stick to Windows 2000 Pro, SP4 for anything less.nThe go back to a previous date feature is tremendously useful for when something goes wrong, but I could do without the snoop-doggy-dog in the file search section. Looks a bit unprofessional to me. It’s also good to be able to use the familiar Windows themes instead of the XP ones, if you want to.nUsers of the latest graphics cards and Adobe multimedia applications will have to upgrade to XP to have the required system support, or even get an installation to proceed. Be sure to check this before buying anything current. Avid DV Express, etc, is also only XP compatible.nAny hardware such as printers, scanners, modems, etc install very easily.nAn anti-virus and firewall are essential additions, Sophos and Kerio Personal Firewall work well for me. Also be sure to never be on the web in Administrator mode. Instead, set yourself up as a user with Power User attributes. A Restricted User profile is also available, but if you have Screenwriter 2000, or other Screenplay products installed, they may not launch or function properly.nXP Pro will give a great deal of satisfaction. XP-Home is much less expensive, but is little better than Win 98.