Feature rich XP still has controversial stuff

Scott Hillis

SEATTLE: Thursday marked the retail debut of what the software giant called

its most significant product in six years.

The product is based on the programming technology found at the heart of

Microsoft's corporate operating system, Windows 2000. That means Windows XP

hardly ever crashes. Individual programs might freeze, but rarely take down the

whole system, a constant danger with earlier consumer operating systems from

Windows 95 to last year's Windows Me.

"The biggest improvement, the one I think is going to be the clincher,

is that it just doesn't crash as often," said Andy Rathbone, author of

"Windows XP for Dummies." "The other features are more like icing

on the cake. Some people are going to need and like them while others won't even

use them."

Windows XP, the new operating system launched by Microsoft Corp. on Thursday,

still has some hardware and software issues as well as persistent -- some say

menacing -- links to other Microsoft services.

Solid system



But whereas Windows 2000 didn't work with a lot of consumer software, like
games, and hardware, like digital cameras, Windows XP can handle a lot more of

the fun stuff.

There are still gaps in what XP will recognize. This reporter ran into

trouble trying to install Liquid Audio Inc.'s music player. Another Reuters

reporter said XP forced him to reinstall Microsoft's Outlook 2000 on his Sony

Vaio laptop. It also disabled his AmbiCom ethernet card and wouldn't recognize

his Canon digital camera.

But new updates and drivers are appearing daily, and XP is smart enough to

help you look for the right fixes online, saving you the trouble of digging them

up yourself. On Thursday, Microsoft posted an update that fixes problems with

dozens of programs, including RealPlayer 7.0 from RealNetworks Inc. and glitches

caused by playing Disney's "Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs" DVD.

"What Microsoft is trying to do with Windows XP, and for the most part

it has succeeded, is make it very easy to keep it updated," Rathbone said.

If users do install disagreeable software and mess up their PCs, a

"system restore" feature can reset the system to an earlier state. In

the case of the Liquid Audio problem, use of this feature revived the machine

without losing other data.

Fun features



Microsoft is also taking aim at the increasingly popular use of PCs as a hub for
managing digital media. New folders labeled "My Music", "My

Pictures," and "My Videos" automatically file those media to the

appropriate location.

The Windows Media Player for playing audio and video is pumped up with the

ability to record music CDs and print labels. However, the software can only

record in Microsoft's Windows Media audio format, making it necessary to pay for

an add-on to record in the popular MP3 format.

Software called Movie Maker can transfer video from a camcorder,

automatically divide it into scenes and compress it into clips small enough to

send via e-mail.

XP also sports a new look. The screen is clear of almost all icons and

programs are launched from a smart "Start" button that prominently

displays favored software while hiding stuff that isn't used often.

Other features include user switching, which can create sign-ins for

different users who can store their settings and files separately from others;

and a home networking wizard helps link multiple computers.

Windows XP does require more powerful hardware than any previous version.

Microsoft recommends a 300-megahertz or faster processor and 128 megabytes of

RAM. Some reviewers have said to forget about installing XP on machines older

than two years or slower than 500 megahertz, but this reporter has had no

problems on a 2-1/2-year-old PC with a 450-megahertz Pentium III and RAM boosted

to 224 megabytes.

Passport stirs privacy controversy

But there are also several controversial parts of the new system -- which will
likely have some consumer groups, privacy advocates, politicians, and rivals

crying foul.

One of the first things XP users see is product activation. It is an attempt

to thwart piracy and stop people from installing Windows on more than one

computer. Microsoft has always forbade putting Windows on more than one PC, but

activation now gives them the power to enforce that.

Activation is simple, requiring users to send a code over the Internet. But

some say Microsoft risks angering customers who tinker with their PCs a lot, the

danger being that if a hardware profile changes too much, Windows will lock up,

forcing a telephone call to Microsoft to reactivate it.

"I can see Microsoft's point in trying to do it, but the way it's set up

it will be hurting the consumers and the families more than it will hurt the

counterfeiters, who have already found ways to circumvent it," Rathbone

said.

After activating and setting up XP, Microsoft urges users to sign up for

Passport, an authentication system that enables automatic sign-in to Microsoft

services like Hotmail. But if you don't want a Passport, XP will still urge you

to sign up as many as five times, according to some reviewers.

Pitching new services



More disturbing than Microsoft's sheer persistence is what many users see as
deceptive language to trick people into thinking they need a Passport account to

do basic Web tasks.

The Passport dialogue box reads: "You've just connected to the Internet.

You need a Passport to use Windows XP Internet communications features (such as

instant messaging, voice chat and video), and to access .NET-enabled services on

the Internet. Click here to set up your Passport now."

Microsoft wants Passport subscribers because it is a piece of its .NET

strategy to sell Web-based services. Passport will become a virtual wallet to

store data like passwords and credit card numbers.

"I don't mind if Microsoft adds new features, but when they make it seem

like people have to sign up for something that will make Microsoft more money,

like Passport, that's unfair and I don't think it's right," Rathbone said.

Those who don't get a Passport, however, will be locked out of some nifty XP

features like a new instant messaging program called Windows Messenger that

supports video chats, application sharing, and even the ability to hand control

of your PC to, say, a tech-savvy friend who can help with trouble-shooting .

But there is plenty of other popular messaging software such as that from

Internet and media giant AOL Time Warner Inc. or Web portal Yahoo! Inc.

"The bad things are avoidable," Rathbone said. "There's a lot

of good in Windows XP and a lot of the bad can be avoided if people can see past

what Microsoft is trying to push on them."

(C) Reuters Limited.