• PC World
• »Software
• »Operating Systems

The deal is, I'm really thrilled with XP. I've had it on my production machine for a month and it's the first version of Windows that's been working without hassling me.

You may not remember, but I'm a recent Windows XP convert. I've written about it twice. See "Home Office: A Windows XP Upgrade in Your Future?" and "Home Office: Last Call for Windows XP Upgrades."

In the month I've used it, XP's had just one major crash. Sure, I've had a few snags: My Brother Laser printer didn't install correctly until I dug up its XP drivers, for instance. I also had to spend a while figuring out how to configure myself as both an Administrator and a Power User. And Eudora, the e-mail program I love but hate, still crashes regularly--something that has nothing to do with XP. (The kids at Qualcomm can't seem to fathom that even loyal Eudora users will eventually run out of patience with their gnarly bugs.) What's cool is that XP doesn't give a rat's patootie about programs that crash. All it takes is the three-finger salute (Ctrl-Alt-Del) and I can close the offending program.

Natural Resources

Another nifty thing is XP's ability to make good use of memory. With 512MB of RAM, I finally have enough free resources to stick everything I want in the system tray: Second Copy 2000, AVG Anti-Virus, Zone Alarm, AsuType, SnagIt, and QuicKeys. The applications running are Word, Excel, Eudora, IE, PowerDesk, Outlook, and Windows Media Player (playing Brubeck), and they're all running harmoniously. (If you hear hearty laughter in the background, it's from my computing guru friends who told me about NT and Win 2000's similar attributes, which I somehow ignored.)

Okay, so even though I'm happy with XP's performance and new interface (I also like the way I can get to XP's insides with the Administrative Tools), the one thing that still ticks me off is Microsoft's greedy pricing policy. Instead of a paltry discount for users in the same home, I wish Microsoft would loosen up and allow up to three PCs in the same home office to pay one fee and use just one license.

Dig this: Have you ever wondered about the art of hurling? You know, tossing people and things around with a trebuchet? I thought not. You ought to visit Trebuchet.com and learn all about it.

Making the Move

If you're making the transition from an old PC to a new one with XP on it, there are a slew of tools that can help you transfer your applications. The first one is the Migration Wizard that's built into XP. You can quickly access it by going to the Start Menu, opening the Run command, and typing in migwiz.

If you prefer having a third-party utility do the work for you, read Tom Spring's "XP Moving Day: Easing the Pain," where he compares the qualities of migration tools.

Me? I did the move manually. The truth was that it was a pain in the butt having to reinstall every application. I mean, I had to dig out all the registration codes and serial numbers, remember my settings, and spend a weekend doing it all. What felt just super was leaving behind the dozens of utilities, tools, and applications I rarely used. (And don't even try to kid me--you have just as much unused junk around as I do.)

Keep Focused on XP

Quick book review: I've been relying on one book, Microsoft Windows XP Inside Out, by Ed Bott, Carl Siechert, and Craig Stinson (Microsoft Press, 2001). I've seen it for as little as $30 on Half.com (search by ISBN number 0735613826). If this sounds like an endorsement, it is: The book's opened lots of XP's doors for me and has saved my bacon more than once.

If you're using XP, you'll want to know about the upcoming service release. I have two stories for you. The first is a short piece titled "Windows XP Update Scheduled." The second, meatier, piece is by Scott Spanbauer, who talks in some detail about what's specifically in the service pack. Check out "Microsoft Upgrades XP with Service Pack."

If you're already using Windows XP, you really need to get a copy of PowerToys for Windows XP. It's a neat-o tweaking tool that lets you fiddle with the Frequently Used Programs section of the Start Menu, get rid of rarely used icons in Control Panel, and make changes in the Places Bar of Common Dialog Boxes. Get it; it's free and an essential part of your tool kit.

Dig this: It's midweek and there's not much going on, right? How about spending a little time cooking up a few sunny-sides on your computer's processor?

And if that's not intriguing enough, how about reading a true story of a family in Georgia and their experience with a redneck neighbor. If you work from a home office, it'll provide some ideas on how to vent frustration--it's long, but worth it.

Sign up to have Steve Bass's Home Office Newsletter e-mailed to you each week.