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 Windows 2000 Professional (known here as Windows 2000) made its debut in February.
As the Computer Age matures, so must the operating systems that power these brain trusts.
Where once everyone was only concerned about accessing basic files and playing simple
games, today's sophisticated computer user not only needs but wants more out of his or her
system. Microsoft Corporation is betting that its new Windows 2000 for business and soon
to be released Windows Millennium for consumers will meet those needs with flying colors.
Company Chairman Bill Gates called the operating system "the most ambitious
software project ever." But without proper preparation, upgrading a computer's
operating system to Windows 2000 is a lot like jumping out of an airplane without first
testing a parachute.
The high marks Windows 2000 has received for
stability and performance might be enough to warrant an upgrade, but users need to check
their hardware for compatibility. Even consumers, who will find that Windows Millennium
(also known as Windows ME), which lacks Windows 2000's stability but caters more to their
needs, should be wary.
Windows ME
Like Windows 95/ 98, Millennium sprinkles lots of conveniences around the familiar
Windows interface. And like previous upgrades, Millennium continues the gradual movement
of Windows away from its MS-DOS roots. Though users can still boot to DOS with a start-up
floppy and open a command prompt window, MS-DOS mode is gone, therefore users won't be
able to use DOS-based programs.
Millennium incorporates several concepts introduced in Windows 2000, including
hibernation the ability to use a standby or powered-off mode to save to disk the
current state of Windows and the applications a user is running.
A system file-protection feature prevents applications from replacing Windows system
files with their own versions. Like Windows 98 Second Edition, Millennium lets all of the
computers on a small home or office network share Internet access on one line, and it adds
a new Home Networking Wizard to assist with setup.
Brand-new features include a new Picture Acquisition Wizard that makes grabbing a scan
from a digital camera or scanner nearly automatic, plus the ability to decode .zip archive
files within Explorer, and new games.
Another new feature, an AutoUpdate utility, works while users surf the Web,
checking Microsoft's site for any updates that a system can use, downloading them in the
background, and then asking users if they want to install them.
But the most useful new feature is the System Restore utility, which allows users to
roll back their Windows configuration to a previous state. For users that have installed a
buggy program or software driver that defies all attempts at removal, this feature becomes
a must-have.
Windows 2000
Windows 2000 offers an even more impressive set of improvements. Originally called
Windows NT (New Technology) 5.0, it inherits Windows 95/ 98 features such as Plug and Play
hardware detection, support for the FAT32 file system, and power management. But small
businesses still running Windows 95/ 98 should stick with their current operating systems,
for the time being.
Microsoft's upgrade site lists 5,765 PC models that conform to Windows 2000's system
requirements: Users should have at least a 133-MHz (166 MHz preferred) Pentium-class
system with at 64MB of memory, and a 2GB hard disk with a minimum of 650MB of free space.
Furthermore, users should be sure their PC's manufacturer offers Windows 2000 BIOS
upgrades, if necessary. The BIOS the code that lives directly on a PC's motherboard and
boots the computer describes some hardware characteristics to the operating system. It's
crucial that a PC has an ACPI BIOS to run Windows 2000.
Windows 2000 does have its advantages. Besides being more stable, requiring far fewer
reboots than Windows 98, it also shuts down quickly. And it's better than its
predecessors at supplying big chunks of memory quickly to applications such as Adobe
Photoshop.
But with advantages come disadvantages. Unlike Windows 95/ 98, Windows 2000 requires
users to log on using a name and password, and it uses that log-on authentication to
control file access. More important, hardware compatibility and system requirements make
Windows 2000 an iffy choice for antiquated hardware. And just because hardware is new
doesn't make it compatible with Windows 2000.
Also, users can't uninstall Windows 2000 Professional like Windows 98. If an
installation doesn't work, their only recourse is to wipe out everything by reformatting
the disk drive and reinstalling the operating system and all their applications.
Finally, Windows 2000 Professional lists at $319 retail, with an upgrade from Windows
95/98 at $219.With an expected street price of about $90, Millennium is the way to go for
most home and casual users.
Users who want Windows 2000 should purchase a computer that comes with it and all the
necessary peripherals installed. Those who want better performance should invest in a
faster processor or a memory upgrade.
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