Upgrading to Windows XP

"How do I make my system faster?" This is the most frequently asked question that I receive while working on someone's computer. Actually, there are numerous ways to increase the speed and productivity of your computer, from adding faster hardware to updating system software. The most cost effective way to increase the performance of you computer is to upgrade your system software, in many cases to Microsoft Windows XP.

There are many advantages of using Windows XP over any other Windows Platform. From a performance standpoint, Windows XP loads up to 34% faster than Windows 2000 and 27% faster than Windows 98. Not only does the system start up faster, but your programs start faster, too. Windows XP utilizes special code that actually learns what files are accessed upon program start up and stores that information so that it is more efficiently accessed. Windows 98 and Windows 2000 users will see an average of 25% faster start up of their programs.

Not only does the performance make upgrading to Windows XP a good choice, but Windows XP is also the most stable Operating System in the Windows Product Family. Windows XP is based upon the NT Kernel which provides for a more stable environment when compared to Windows 95, 98, and Me. The stability features that Windows XP boasts include:  memory protection to guard against poorly written code, driver rollback to recover from compatibility issues arising from device drivers, System Restore which can completely restore your computer when something goes wrong, and the ability to keep the system running even after a program becomes unstable allowing you to safely save your work.

As you can see upgrading to Windows XP can make your system perform faster and more reliably. However, you must make sure that your computer meets the minimum requirements. The requirements are as follows:

1. A processor of at least 233 MHz, but a 300 MHz is recommended.
2. The system will run with 64 MB of RAM but will limit performance and some features, 128 MB or higher is recommended.
3. At least 1.5 gigabytes of free space on your hard drive.

If your computer meets or exceeds these requirements you may want to think about upgrading to Windows XP. To give you an idea what it costs, UCit can upgrade a PC from Windows 98 to XP for approximately $66, (i.e., two hours of labor).

Please call the UCit Help Desk, at 556-HELP, for specific pricing information or to schedule an upgrade, or both.

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