Performance tests indicate that Windows XP Service Pack 3 runs many applications 10 times faster than XP computers without the software update. InformationWeek.com is reporting that XP Service Pack 3 demonstrated a significance performance boost on benchmark tests.
Interestingly, Microsoft makes no claims that the Windows XP SP3 update will increase performance, instead touting increased reliability and security as the big reasons to install the service pack update. Perhaps it is simply a “happy accident” that the update is testing up to 10% faster on standardized bench testing programs compared to the service pack 2 upgrade. Either way though, XP users aren’t complaining.
With Windows XP still the fastest Microsoft operating system in use, the SP3 update deals another in a long line of blows to Microsoft Vista, which has consistently tested slower than XP on a wide variety of software programs. With the new update, XP becomes even faster, drawing even more attention to the sluggish nature of Microsoft Vista, and raising further questions about the need or practicality of updating to the new operating system.
In fact, testing demonstrates that the new XP update is approximately twice as fast as Windows Vista on many benchmark programs. The question for many Windows users is “why should I upgrade to Vista when I can get a free Windows XP SP3 update and my computer will run twice as fast?” These kinds of questions have haunted Microsoft since the launch of Vista, and many Windows users feel the company has not adequately answered the question, “why upgrade?” After all, if it’s not broke — why fix it?
Designed as a simple bug fix, Windows XP SP3’s increased speeds and performance come as an unexpected bonus. But there have also been problems with the operating system update, and the Windows XP forum is filled with posts from early adopters experiencing a wide variety of “hiccups” with the new service pack, ranging from all-out system crashes, to trouble recognizing external disks and hard drives.
Typically, there are always a few glitches when a new service pack is released, but these usually get solved within the first couple of weeks. The final version of Windows XP SP3 is due to be released later this week, and will hopefully eliminate most of the bugs being currently experienced by users attempting to upgrade.
The XP service pack 3 upgrade will be made available to the general public this Wednesday in Microsoft’s online Download Center. The upgrade can also be accessed from the Windows automatic update service within XP.
Despite the fact that Microsoft has spared no expense in promoting its Vista operating system, Windows XP refuses to go away. Computer retailers are finding new and creative ways to continue selling the XP operating system beyond its June 30 deadline.
Dell and Hewlett-Packard are two of the major PC retailers that will continue to sell Windows XP beyond Microsoft’s June deadline. The companies have found ways to exploit loopholes in Microsoft’s licensing agreement to sell XP preloaded in new computers.
The reason why the “big box” distributors want to continue offering XP is simple: money. Windows Vista has received a lukewarm response from the market, and many individuals and companies are insisting upon continuing to use Windows XP when purchasing new computers.
The big PC retailers are taking advantage of a loophole clause in the Windows Vista terms of service which allows distributors to sell XP under what is known as a “downgrade license.” In practical terms, this means that Dell or Hewlett-Packard (to name two examples) will be allowed to legally install XP on some of their computers, most notably, models sold to business customers.
Hewlett-Packard has announced that they will continue selling XP through the 30th of July, 2009, though one has to believe they will extend this deadline too–if there is significant demand for XP beyond this date. Lenovo is also continuing to sell XP, but they are taking a different tact; the company will sell new computers preloaded with Microsoft Vista, but will include a Windows XP “recovery disk,” so that purchasers can elect to “roll back” their operating system if they desire.
The BBC is reporting that even Microsoft honcho Steve Ballmer admits that Windows XP could potentially be around a few more years if there is significant customer demand. Already, Microsoft has caved in to consumer pressure by extending the life span of Windows XP Home through 2010. The move is meant to apply to smaller computers and laptops which may have trouble running the more processor-hungry Vista.
With many consumers and businesses wary of upgrading to Vista, it appears that Windows XP could be with us for some time to come. On the one hand, this is a clear slap in the face to Vista, which is perceived by many as an unnecessary upgrade. But on the other hand, it is also a tribute to the elegance and stability of Windows XP, which has been around long enough now to firmly establish itself as a reliable operating system — some say the most reliable ever produced by the Microsoft camp.
Several petitions are going around online for Microsoft to continue selling and supporting Windows XP. One petition, hosted at InfoWorld.com, reportedly has more than 10,000 signatures so far, and there are many others located on blogs and sites all across the Web.
Windows users claim that XP is the most stable operating system ever developed by Microsoft, and even though XP is now six years old, many PC users cannot bring themselves to “upgrade” to Windows Vista. The problem is, Microsoft is planning to pull Windows XP off store shelves in June of this year. Microsoft boasts that Windows Vista is a superior operating system, and the time is right for all Windows users to begin upgrading.
Unfortunately for Microsoft, most windows XP users don’t agree with this sentiment. Microsoft’s Vista operating system received only lukewarm — or in some cases, downright hostile — reviews, and is generally regarded as being less intuitive, slower and with more bothersome security pop-ups then Windows XP.
There is also the question of incompatibility with certain programs and hardware devices. Vista is still not compatible with as many printers, for example, as Windows XP. For all of these reasons and more, many businesses have refused to upgrade to Vista, citing lack of cost efficiency and compatibility problems with existing hardware.
Although Microsoft is aware of the petitions going around to extend the Windows XP deadline, so far the company is refusing to budge. A Microsoft statement quoted by the Associated Press indicated the company would continue to listen to customer feedback, but offered no further promise of extending XP.
As an operating system, Windows XP has now been around for over six years, which is practically a lifetime in the computer technology arena. But the problem with introducing a new operating system every two or three years is simply this: operating systems take time to mature, develop and become stable.
In this sense, computer operating systems are a lot like people. When they are young, they are flashy and new, but as they age they become more stable and compatible, with fewer nasty surprises. Windows XP, at six years old, has reached this maturity, and is now a relatively stable operating system, which gets the job done and offers few surprises in the form of compatibility problems or unknown bugs.
For these reasons, the computer industry probably needs to change its paradigm which says that “newer is always better.” When it comes to hardware, newer may indeed be better. But where software operating systems are concerned, that is not always the case. The lesson to be learned from Windows XP’s continued popularity is that a mature and stable operating system will beat out a flashy newcomer every single time.
Although it’s been common knowledge among computer professionals for some time, there is now official research that proves that Windows new Vista operating system is slower and less responsive than Windows XP. The Florida-based development and research company, Devil Mountain Software, compared performance benchmarks between the two operating systems. The end result? Windows XP outperformed Vista in every single test.
The unbiased tests showed that XP loaded quicker and showed an increased level of responsiveness, regardless of the computer system and memory allocation available. The company tested on a wide range of commercially unavailable desktop and laptop computers, and each time the results were the same: XP is simply faster than Vista.
Researchers tested the two operating systems using Microsoft Office running on a dual core dell notebook. A benchmark analysis disclosed the time taken to complete standard tasks such as creating a compound document, or saving multiple documents. The test also utilized computers with both 1 GB and 2 GB’s of memory, to ensure fairness to the larger, more memory intensive Vista.
But in all tests, Windows XP was shown to outperform Vista, sometimes proving to be nearly twice as fast at basic “housekeeping” tasks such as document creation and auto-saving.
For example, on a laptop computer running Windows Vista SP1, it took longer than 80 seconds to complete a series of Microsoft office tasks, while the same notebook running Windows XP SP2 completed the tasks in approximately 40 seconds.
The tests also showed that Vista “locked up” most additional memory added to a computer. This means that by upgrading a laptop from 1 GB to 2 GB of RAM, researchers were only able to improve Vista’s performance by 4%!
The latest “Mac versus PC” commercials show a bumbling “PC” indicating that he had just recently switched back from Vista to Windows XP. While the commercials are designed to be humorous, the latest research shows that serious computer users may want to follow suit and switch from the over-bloated Vista back to the more stable Windows XP.
But Vista’s troubles don’t stop there, large PC manufacturers, such as Dell and Hewlett-Packard have begun reintroducing Windows XP as an option on many of their top-selling desktop and notebook computers. Additionally, a recent survey by InformationWeek disclosed that approximately 30% of all businesses indicate they will not upgrade their office computers to Vista under any circumstances.
This latest study, combined with the widespread perception that Vista does not support many existing peripherals, such as printers or scanners that are older than one year, is bound to seriously put a dent in Microsoft’s bottom line over the coming months.
Meanwhile, Apple is the great beneficiary in all this. Sales of Apple computers have been steadily rising over the past two years and are likely to continue to do so as Windows Vista comes under increased scrutiny.
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If you’re reading this, the latest operating system that came out of Apple is already released. The new version, called Leopard, has been getting great reviews lately from various tech blogs. Leopard has been seen as a very good competition for Microsoft’s Vista. Unfortunately, Vista hasn’t had any great things coming in except frustration from users. Personally, I think Microsoft’s security is quite outrageous. We all understand the importance of security but it doesn’t mean that we have to cripple and even disable some of the services. The only good thing so far about Microsoft’s Vista is their cool interface.
Going back to Leopard, this latest edition of Apple is priced at $199.00 for family edition (up to five users) and $129.00 for a single lisence. We checked out their website, the blogs and webcasts to see the cool things about this latest OS offering from Apple. So far, there are four features that seemed to stand out.
Web Clips – imagine being able to access your favorite video websites without having to launch any web browser. Using your Safari browser (Apple’s personal favorite), you can create widgets linking you to your favorite video websites. Once you’ve selected your site, you can easily access video sites an check out the latest videos.
RSS on E-mail – for news and updates junkies, this is the perfect feature of Leopard. You can now subscribe to various RSS feeds and send them directly to your e-mail. That seemed to be a little simple but try considering this feature when you’re offline. The RSS feed will not only access the online information but downloads the whole document. As long as the e-mail has received the feed, you’ll be able to read the document offline. You can also send the document to your friends and other contacts.
Web History – my personal favorite. I have trouble memorizing a good website I usually visit so I often look it up at my web history. That may still be confusing and not convenient. But with Leopard, all you need to do is type in a word and your computer searches for the latest matches. It doesn’t only take a look at the title or the tags in the site but it also looks at the specific words found in them. So even if you remember only a single word, you’ll be sure to find them easily.
Integration of Wikipedia and Dictionary – in your installed OS, you’ll be able to check on the dictionary and Wikipedia even without the internet connection. All the information you need is already in Leopard. Since Wikipedia is so big, entries in Wikipedia are shortened and presented in a way it’s being presented like a dictionary. Your OS just got a little bit smarter with this tool.
Of course there are other cool features that come with the new Leopard but when it comes to productivity, these features are a standout. If you’re a Mac user, Leopard is definitely worth the second look.
While I was trying to lessen the burden of my computer by deleting some programs, I deleted by mistake my calculator. If you’re an XP user, you might already be familiar that running a calculator is as easy as going to run and typing in “calc” to get the calculator running. Now that’s all gone, I squandered to look for a calculator that can run in my computer. Lucky I landed in Microsoft XP’s site that offers free software called the PowerToys. Not only did I found a calculator, there are other free software programs that I also downloaded. These are pretty simple programs as some size of the files is less than 1MB.
Here are some of the PowerToys I also downloaded (note these softwares only work in XP):
ClearType Tuner (2MB) – Ok, this one’s more than 1MB but it still runs really fast. The main reason why you want to download ClearType is because of its ability to adjust the screen to make the letters clearer. This is applicable for some XP users who have trouble looking at the sites especially in their browser. This tuner is installed in your control panel and once it is, you’ll be able to adjust the screen’s resolution manually until you get the resolution that you want. Although this program is not the answer for those who can’t clearly see the text because of eye problems, ClearType makes reading a lot easier for general users.
Alt-Tab Replacement (534KB) – When you press ALT and taps on the TAB, you’ll be able to see the icons of programs that run in your computer. Once you install this program, that experience will definitely change. Properly called the Task Switch, instead of getting previews by the icons of the programs running, you’ll be able to see a small screenshot of the page. This is perfect for multiple documents that run in one program. Instead of guessing what’s under number one file, you’ll be able to see what’s in it.
Power Calculator (624KB) – The reason why I landed on this page. If you’re thinking that I downloaded just like the good old software, you’re wrong. Power Calculator actually has a grid. You can plot X and Y intersections and create formulas. But if you just downloaded the file only to figure out the difference between two whole numbers you can still do that. You enter the numbers manually and the screen will show the process and the result. However, the fonts maybe too small to read for some.
HTML Slide Show (416 KB) – This program lets you create a slide show for all your pictures. For example, if you have website that feature pictures, you can just create a simple HTML page with all the pictures that you like to share. It will be viewed as a slide show if successfully uploaded to your site.
If you like the slide show then you should love the webcam timer show. You can set your webcam to take pictures in a specific time interval. It’s recommended for computers with higher than normal speed. Compile pictures of yourself during the day as you work in your computer.
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The Mac and PC debate goes back long before most of us even used computers. PC’s and Microsoft still pretty much dominate the computer industry but Apple is slowly sneaking some market share away. On Monday, Apple Inc. chief executive officer Steve Jobs introduced the Safari web browser for Windows-based computers. Safari was previously only available on Mac computers although Internet Explorer has been available on Mac’s for some time now. Apple Inc. has always been known for the revolutionary and addicting products, and they believe Safari will accomplish the same task. Safari will go up against the pre-installed Microsoft Internet Explorer on Windows-based computers which owns about 78 percent of the market share. The other contender in the Internet browser arena is an open source project known as Mozilla Firefox which has quickly stolen 15 percent of market share. All 3 of these top Browser contenders are available for free. While Safari definitely dominates the Mac browser world, it currently only comes in at about 5 percent of the overall Internet browser market share.
Apple is excited to introduce PC users to innovative Apple products. Steve Jobs claims that Safari will outperform all the PC browsers by being twice as fast. Apple has increasingly made its products available to multiple platforms. The iTunes music store and iTunes itself have been available to PC users for several years. The increase of multiple platform applications is designed to steal more users from their familiar PC’s and get them interested in trying a Mac. Apple Inc. still has a lot of room to grow but they have been doing pretty well for themselves over the last couple of years. According to IDC, a market research company, Mac sales have grown at a great rate and have grown about 1.4 percent in the United States over the last two years. Apple has the products and applications to persuade people away, they just need to overcome the familiarity hurdle of Windows-based computers. “Safari is another Trojan horse that introduces an innovation of Apple to the Windows community and entices them to the Mac platform,” said Tim Bajarin, an industry analyst at Creative Strategies, a technology consultancy.
The timely announcement of Safari to Windows users came a few weeks before the long awaited release of the Apple iPhone in the United States. Steve Jobs, one of the most charismatic and exciting CEO’s in the world, also threw in that Safari would be the featured browser of this new, ground breaking cellular phone. Any applications designed for Safari will also be compatible with the new iPhone. Following Steve Jobs announcement, many people were excited and are predicting a strong increase in Mac users and the overall sales of Apple Inc. products. Some analysts believe that it won’t have that great of an impact but will just create a stronger community where computer users will use the platform they are comfortable with but will also have the ability to pick and choose their applications and not be restricted by the manufacturers.
The userbase of Linux operating systems is growing rapidly. More and more people are venturing away from Microsoft Windows and finding their way to open source operating systems. Just as more people are using them, more and more Linux distributions are available. According to DistroWatch, there are more than 400 Linux distributions available and active, with many versions for each, which in turn gives you thousands of options. With large PC manufacturers starting to offer Linux based operating systems as an option for a new computer, which operating system will come out on top and dominate this industry? Among the open source operating system crowd, there are 2 main contenders: Ubuntu and Fedora.
Ubuntu
First things first, the installation of Ubuntu was very simple and straightforward. No tricky, unfamiliar feats you must overcome. For the first time Linux user, Ubuntu is by far the easiest to start learning and also includes the most basic options which keep things simple. As you learn the operating system and desire additional features and options, they can be added separately which is great for those who are just new to the Linux scene. Most Ubuntu users are probably a little more computer literate than the average user but with a single disc install, anyone could set this operating system up. The set up process detects your hardware very well and things run smoothly. One of the driving forces to a Linux operating system is the unstable and hacker friendly Microsoft Windows. The biggest downside of Ubuntu is that there is no firewall on the system. There are solutions to work around this but this is one feature that should’ve been included. Another disappointment was the limited multimedia resources. You will probably have to look outside Ubuntu to find what you need in the multimedia department.
Fedora
This open source operating system has a strong history and has been a strong contender for awhile. Fedora has been the most consistent with stability issues which have plagued other open source operating systems. The recently added network tools are a great addition to this product and actually include eight tools into one easy to use interface. Your multimedia options are expanded somewhat but Fedora doesn’t provide any support for non open source programs that are really common among other users. The included Helix Player is fairly simple and provides a satisfactory replacement for the average multimedia user. Fedora also lacks some of the bells and whistles and human friendliness of other open source operating systems. The security options exceed those of Ubuntu, which is a strong point for Fedora.
Up to this point, Ubuntu appears to be taking the lead in the open source operating system world with a strong backing from Dell Computers. Both operating systems are fully functional and have surprisingly strong features. If you are new to Linux operating systems, Ubuntu is probably the way to go but Fedora users have no reason to jump ship quite yet.
The second largest PC manufacturer, Dell, announced that at the end of May they will begin selling desktops and laptops for consumers with Canonical’s latest Ubuntu version of Linux called “Feisty Fawn.” The announcement was made by Dell spokesman, Kent Cook. “Today, we are excited to tell you that Dell will begin offering Canonical’s latest version, Ubuntu 7.04, as an option on select Dell consumer models in the U.S. in the coming weeks.” If you are unfamiliar with these systems, Linux is a UNIX based freeware, open source, operating system. It has been around for many years but only widely known in the open source industry. Canonical Ltd, owned by Mark Shuttleworth, is a company that has used Linux’s open source nature and created a complete operating system. Ubuntu come from a South African concept which roughly translates to “humanity towards others.”
So what is the big fuss over Dell offering this operating system to its consumers? Linux is the first operating system to really make a run at Windows. Dell attempted to offer a Linux based desktop computer clear back in 1999 and laptops in 2000 but had very little success. In 2001, Dell discontinued this option due to very little demand. With little success, Dell even invested in a company called Eazel who focused on the Linux market. Since 2001, Linux and Ubuntu have grown to become very popular and potentially a serious competitor to Microsoft Windows. In 2006, over 160.5 million operating system licenses were registered. Windows has an amazing dominating 92% of these with Mac OS X being the next closest at 4.1%. Although nobody really expects a drastic swing in Microsoft’s operating system market share, Dell’s move to offer Canonical’s Ubuntu operating system is directed primarily towards Linux enthusiasts. Dell has also increased its forums to help users who opt for the Ubuntu operating system. Some analysts see this move to Linux as an attempt to regain some market share that Dell has been losing to the number one PC manufacturer, Hewlett Packard.
Right now, this new offering by Dell is directed just towards consumer PC users but the real power of Linux is demonstrated on servers. No servers are currently sold with the option of Linux but many owners choose to use Linux because of its amazing capabilities and strength. Many analysts and experts believe that it is just a matter of time before Ubuntu is also offered on servers. So far, Dell and Canonical have been very impressed with the welcoming of this new option on Dell computers. The financial details of this deal between Dell and Canonical were not disclosed but it obviously could be a serious breaking out point for Canonical if PC users choose to go with the Ubuntu operating system. While some of the more computer savvy, open source fans will choose Ubuntu over Microsoft Windows, it will be a long time before the average computer user and buyer choose anything over the very familiar Windows operating system.
The operating system debate goes back about as far as the platforms they come from. With some interesting new changes to Windows Vista, is Microsoft catching on to the trendy user interface that Mac has become famous for? Security issues have always been a big issue to Microsoft’s operating systems but many people believe that with improved security and an enhanced user interface, Microsoft may be catching up to the popular Mac OS X.
Security problems have haunted Microsoft for a long time. Windows XP faced much criticism for its ability to be easily hacked. With the new release of Vista, Microsoft has made user security a higher priority. Vista features additional User Account Controls which will prevent software from making any changes to your PC. If a piece of software attempts to make a change, Vista will warn you that these changes could be hazardous to your PC . To be fully protected, after your initial set up of Vista, you will need additional products to make your operating system more secure. Windows Defender, Vista’s main protection, must be updated every week to get new updates. Vista can be better protected than previous versions of Microsoft’s operating systems but it will come at a greater expense and your own time. Mac’s operating system options make it more secure due to all communication ports being closed. If safety is your main concern, Apple PC’s with Mac OS X is your best bet.
Mac has always struggled in the performance arena due to subpar processors. PC’s have always strongly favored the Intel processors which are known for their top performance. With a PC and Windows Vista, you also have the availability of Intel Core and Core 2 Duo CPU’s long before Apple will ever get a hold of them. PC’s have always been the first to get access to the latest technology including high definition DVD drives like HD DVD and Blu-ray. High speed wireless Internet was also available to PC users long before Mac users. Mac OS X is known for its multimedia capabilities with video, music and pictures but the majority of PC users benefit more by the general technology advantage that Vista has available with its PC platform. For the average user, Vista will definitely be sufficient for their music and movies but PC’s and Vista have much better gaming abilities and access to the best video and sound cards.
The biggest different between Microsoft operating systems and Mac operating system have always been their usability and interface controls. Vista has definitely improved its look with a trendy new make-over that has its similarities to Mac OS X but some of the new features prove to slow down simple processes that had no issues in previous operating systems. Overall, it is a much more stable operating system than XP ever was, but the programs still have their issues with freeze ups and crashes. Mac’s OS X has the advantage with a very contemporary look but with this trendy look comes some disadvantages. Their desire to make everything look cool has an impact on its usability like the resize buttons and other minor inconveniences.
Mac OS X has lost its edge on Microsoft’s old, out of date appearance. With a new interface make over and improved security options, Microsoft Vista is the best operating system available. Of course, different users have different needs and thus requiring different operating systems but for the majority of computer users, Microsoft Vista is the king which shows with more software, game and help support options available.
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