Number 224 - January 2002

Updated Drivers Make a Difference With Windows XP
Special to The Seattle Times
Q: I received the beta version of Windows XP. When I started to load the system it went through a process of evaluating my system. When it was through it listed all the programs and hardware that XP could not support. On that list were Norton Utilities, Zone Alarm Fire-wall, all USB equipment and a few others that I really don't want to give up.     I have been reading about all these "great improvements" that are being incorporated into the new OS. If I have to replace all my USB equipment and my system utilities, then XP is beginning to lose its luster rather quickly.     Have you heard of any plans to change XP to make it more adaptive to present equipment and software?             -Gil Arcelli,     A: Every time an operating system--and this is especially true of Windows--goes through a new version, the question of compatibility with older hardware and software arises. That's not surprising.     What is surprising is the number of items that come up when Windows XP, which had its official launch Oct. 25, checks compatibility during the installation process. I've set up Windows XP on several computers, and each time I get a list of a half-dozen drivers and programs that Windows tells me have compatibility issues. In some cases Windows XP actually refuses to install until the application or driver is removed from the system.     Is this the fault of Microsoft? Sometimes, but most often it's not. When developers write drivers and applications for operating systems, they follow rules and procedures specified by the maker of the operating system.	Sometimes developers take shortcuts, however, to tweak performance. While they test their shortcut with the current version of Windows to make sure everything is OK, it may not be compatible with the next version of Windows. The main difference between this version of Windows and earlier versions, however, seems to be more that it is alerting users to potential conflicts than actual conflicts. With each version of Windows, I've had to locate new drivers and, in some cases, new versions of programs. The good news is that as Windows XP neared general release I found that most of the conflicts I encountered were been resolved by vendors providing updated drivers.     Users of Windows ME, by the way, will find very few compatibility issues arising when they move to Windows XP. Users of Windows 2000 should find that Windows XP offers broader compatibility than Windows 2000.     Is it worth the bother to upgrade to Windows XP? That depends on what version you're using now. If you're still using Windows 98, I'd say the upgrade to Windows XP makes a lot of sense.     If you're already using Windows ME, you won't find a lot of new features. Some users will appreciate some of the new features, including a bundled software firewall to protect your computer from intrusions across the Internet. There's also built-in support for burning compact discs, which makes it easier to copy files from your computer to a CD. The strongest argument for Windows XP is that it is somewhat more stable than previous versions of Windows, including Windows ME and Windows 2000.
Number 224 - January 2002