Windows XP is a line of operating systems developed by Microsoft for use on general-purpose computer systems, including home and business desktops, notebook computers, and media centers. The name "XP" stands for eXPerience. It was codenamed "Whistler". Windows XP was first released on October 25, 2001, and over 400 million copies were in use in January 2006.
The most common editions of the Microsoft Windows XP operating system are
Windows XP Home Edition which is targeted at home users, and
Windows XP Professional which has additional features such as support for Windows Server domains and two physical processors, and is targeted at power users and business clients.
Windows XP Media Center Edition has additional multimedia features enhancing the ability to record and watch TV shows, view DVD movies, and listen to music. Windows XP
Tablet PC Edition is designed to run the ink-aware Tablet PC platform.
Windows XP introduced several new features to the Windows line, including:
- Faster start-up and hibernation sequences
- The ability to discard a newer device driver in favour of the previous one (known as driver rollback), should a driver upgrade not produce desirable results
- A new, arguably more user-friendly interface, including the framework for developing themes for the desktop environment
- Fast user switching, which allows a user to save the current state and open applications of their desktop and allow another user to log on without losing that information
- The ClearType font rendering mechanism, which is designed to improve text readability on Liquid Crystal Display (LCD) and similar monitors
- Remote Desktop functionality, which allows users to connect to a computer running Windows XP from across a network or the Internet and access their applications, files, printers, and devices
- Support for most DSL modems and wireless network connections, as well as networking over FireWire, and Bluetooth.
System requirements for Windows XP Home and Professional editions as follows:
|
|
Minimum |
Recommended |
|
Processor |
233 MHz |
300 MHz or higher |
|
Memory |
64 MB RAM (may limit performance and some features) |
128 MB RAM or higher |
|
Video adapter and monitor |
Super VGA (800 x 600) |
Super VGA (800 x 600) or higher resolution |
|
Hard drive disk free space |
1.5 GB |
1.5 GB or higher |
|
Drives |
CD-ROM |
CD-ROM or better |
|
Devices |
Keyboard and mouse |
Keyboard and mouse |
|
Others |
Sound card, speakers, and headphones |
Sound card, speakers, and headphones |
In addition to the Windows XP system requirements, Service Pack 2 requires an additional 1.8 GB of free hard disk space during installation.
Service Pack’s
Microsoft occasionally releases service packs for its Windows operating systems to fix problems and add features. Each service pack is a superset of all previous service packs and patches so that only the latest service pack needs to be installed, and also includes new revisions. Older patches need not be removed before application of the most recent one.
Windows XP Service Packs on Offer were
Service Pack 1
Service Pack 2
Service Pack 3
Support for Windows XP without a service pack (RTM) ended on September 30, 2004 and support for Windows XP Service Pack 1 and 1a ended on October 10, 2006
