Windows XP has got major advantages in the computing world and many people who have opted to switch to the Windows 7 or Vista have found themselves switching back to the use of Windows XP pro as the alternative solution. This has been attributed to the following facts.
i. Networking – Windows XP has strong networking features and allows for ease of access to the contents in an network and at the same time providing a strong protection to the mother resource prohibiting write operations and ensuring that the resources is easily accessible.
ii. Speed – The speed performance in Windows XP is far much more that that of Vista when being run on a machine with similar specifications. When using Vista, the speed tends to be slower than when using Windows XP pro. Windows XP is also more tweakable than Windows 7 and Vista.
iii. Compatibility - There are so many software that cannot be installed in Vista and Windows 7. This lack of compatibility has made them less popular as compared to Windows XP which could accept a larger variety of software. Many games cannot be installed in a vista or windows 7 operating system environment. When installing some software in Vista, they get blocked by pop up. The delays are sometimes very inconveniencing especially when speed is a factor.
iv. Patches – Windows XP does not get patched easily as compared to Vista which usually have constant patch.
v. Easy to use – The Windows XP Pro is easy to use as compared to vista and windows 7. This can make the company spend a lot of resources trying to train the personnel in moving to the new operating system platform.
vi. System Memory – Vista and Windows 7 use a larger system memory and therefore they cannot be used on systems with lower specifications. The company will have to be forced to buy more powerful systems with larger system memories in order to accommodate the new operating systems. This can have a bad stretch to the company’s budget.
vii. Some other weak points of vista that makes it less popular include: Booting which is much slower, Installation phase which is much complex and a poor gaming performance as compared to windows XP.
Conclusion
With all the above features in consideration, many companies will opt for sticking to the use of the Windows XP operating system so as to save on resources and at the same time save on time. Windows XP is very popular because of its compatibility with many types of softwares and also easy to use. It has been reported by Dell a leading manufacturer of computer systems that Windows XP is still leading in terms of sales despite the introduction of new operating systems like Vista and Windows 7.
References
Ed Bott, Carl Siechert & Craig Stinson Douglas (2004) Microsoft Windows XP Inside Out.
Microsoft Press
Woody, L. (2005). Windows XP Timesaving Techniques. For Dummies
