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Before Windows XP, Microsoft had sold two separate lines of operating systems. Windows 95, Windows 98 and Windows Me were designed for home desktop computers but did not have reliable memory protection, while Windows NT and Windows 2000 were aimed at the corporate, professional, and server markets but were less well-supported by game and multimedia developers. Windows XP is an evolution of Windows 2000 with additional features for home users; it represents Microsoft's shift to using a single code base for all its operating system products.
Windows XP includes an integrated firewall. It is part of a major new Microsoft security effort following a long history of security issues and vulnerabilities.
Microsoft released two main editions of Windows XP. Windows XP Home Edition is designed for home users, and Windows XP Professional is designed for business use. Windows XP Home Edition has a subset of the features of Windows XP Professional.
These are prominent differences between the two editions:
These features are present in Windows XP Professional but absent in Windows XP Home Edition:
Windows XP introduces several new features to the Windows operating system line:
Windows XP features a new task-based graphical user interface. The Start menu and search capability were redesigned and many visual effects were added, including:
Windows XP analyzes the performance impact of visual effects and uses this to decide whether to enable them, so as to prevent the new functionality from consuming substantial additional processing overhead. These settings can be further customized by users. [14] Some effects, such as alpha-blending (transparency and fading), are handled entirely by many newer video cards. However, if the video card is not capable of hardware alpha-blending , performance can be substantially hurt and Microsoft recommends the feature should be turned off manually [15].
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Windows XP adds the ability for Windows to use "Visual Styles" to change the user interface. However, visual styles must be cryptographically signed by Microsoft to run. Luna is the name of the new visual style that ships with Windows XP, and is enabled by default for machines with more than 64MB of RAM. (Luna refers only to one particular visual style, not to all of the new user interface features of Windows XP as a whole.)
The Windows 2000 "classic" interface can be used instead if preferred.
Microsoft has customized Windows XP to suit different markets and there are now several different versions available.
In November 2002, Microsoft released four new versions of XP for specific hardware:
Windows XP Starter Edition (also called "XP Lite," not to be confused with Shane Brooks's XPLite) is a lower-cost version of Windows XP available only in Asia, including Russia. It is similar to Windows XP Home, but has some features removed and some limitations added: display resolution can only be up to 800x600 pixels, only three applications may be run at the same time, PC-to-PC home networking and printer sharing is not available and only a single user account is allowed. Added to the operating system are localized help features, country-specific wallpapers and screensavers and certain pre-configured settings to make it easier for novices to use.
According to a Microsoft press release, Windows XP Starter Edition is "a low-cost introduction to the Microsoft Windows XP operating system designed for first-time desktop PC users in developing countries." It is seen as an effort to fight unauthorized copying of Windows XP, and also to counter the spread of the open source Linux operating system which has been gaining popularity in Asia.
External link: Microsoft Announces Windows XP Starter Edition Pilot Program in Indonesia, Malaysia and Thailand
Microsoft releases service packs for its Windows operating systems to fix problems and add features.
Windows XP service packs are designed so that they will not install on computers running an unauthorized copy of Windows XP. These installations are identified by the "product key" which the user typed in during installation; this product key is unique to each boxed (or bundled) copy of Windows XP and is included with the product documentation, but a small number of product keys have been posted on the Internet and are responsible for a large number of unauthorized installations. The service packs contain a list of these keys and will not update copies of Windows XP which use them. This posed a problem because unauthorized installations of Windows XP could not then be protected against viruses and worms which used known exploits to infect PCs. As a compromise between its desire to discourage unauthorized copying and its desire to fight the spread of viruses and worms, Microsoft chose not to update its blacklist of keys when it released Windows XP Service Pack 2. This means that SP2 will still not install on copies of Windows XP which use the older set of copied keys, but those who use keys which have been posted more recently may be able to update their systems.
Service Pack 1 (SP1) for Windows XP was released on September 9, 2002. Its most notable new features were USB 2.0 support and a Set Program Access and Defaults applet which allowed the user to control the default application for activities such as web browsing and instant messaging, as well as allowing the user to hide some of Microsoft's bundled programs.
A Service Pack 1a was later released to remove Microsoft's Java virtual machine due to a loss in a lawsuit with Sun Microsystems.
Service Pack 2 (SP2) was released on August 6, 2004 and focuses on security. Unlike previous service packs, SP2 adds new functionality to Windows XP, including a new firewall, improved WiFi support and a wizard utility, a pop-up ad blocker for Internet Explorer, and Bluetooth support. It also includes a new API to allow third party virus scanners and firewalls to interface with a new security center application which provides a general overview of security on the system. This helps to suppress spyware and viruses. Other features include enhancements to the Internet Connection Firewall (ICF), now the Windows Firewall (which is also turned on by default), advanced memory protection that takes advantage of the NX instruction that is incorporated into newer processors to stop buffer overflow attacks, and improvements to email and web browsing [16] (a full list of service fixes and modifications for SP2 is available on Microsoft's website). However, when the service pack was released some programs did stop working and Microsoft officially listed several of them that on their website [17].
SP2 also includes major updates to Windows XP Tablet PC Edition and Windows XP Media Center Edition. Due to compatibility issues, the release of SP2 was delayed several times.
SP2 also supports 24 new locales, including languages of Europe, South America, South Africa, Oceania and South Asia [18].
Service Pack 2 is not without its critics. Thomas Greene from The Register claimed that SP2 was merely a placebo of sorts in terms of features, fixes, and security updates. The Register claims Microsoft did increase Windows XP's security, however:
The company AssetMetrix also claims that one out of ten computers that upgraded to SP2 had severe compatibility problems with their applications [20] [21].
Windows XP SP2 also removed raw socket support, which has caused a drop in "zombie" machines, which are machines that can be used remotely to launch denial of service attacks. [22]
External link: Microsoft list of changes to functionality in Windows XP Service Pack 2
See also: Common criticisms of Microsoft
Security concerns have long been an issue with Microsoft products. Windows XP has been criticized for its susceptibility to buffer overflows, malware, viruses and worms.
Many attacks against Windows XP systems come in the form of e-mail trojan horses which are sent by worms. A user who opens one of the file attachments sent to him will unknowingly infect his own computer, which then e-mails the worm to more people. Notable worms of this sort which have infected Windows XP systems include Mydoom and Bagle.
In August 2003 the Blaster worm, which became one of the most well-known Windows worms, exploited a vulnerability which is present in every unpatched installation of Windows XP and can compromise a system even without user action. Even security-conscious users can have trouble with Blaster, since it can infect a computer with a newly installed copy of Windows XP before the user has time to download security fixes [23]. Windows XP was also vulnerable to the Sasser worm, spread by using a buffer overflow in a remote service present on every installation. In May 2003, Sasser quickly spread through computers running Windows XP and Windows 2000.
Spyware and adware, collectively known as "malware," are a continuing problem on Windows XP and other versions of Windows. These usually unwanted programs can cause system instability, display pop-up ads, and track a user's activities for marketing purposes. Often these programs are included with seemingly harmless downloads. Spyware is also a concern for Microsoft with regards to service pack updates. Barry Goff, a group product manager at Microsoft, said some spyware could cause computers to freeze up upon installation of Service Pack 2 [24].Windows XP offers some useful security benefits, such as Windows Update, which can be set to install security patches automatically, and a built-in firewall. SP2 sets the firewall to be turned on by default, and also adds increased memory protection to let the operating system take advantage of new NX technology built into 64-bit CPUs such as the AMD 64. This allows Windows XP to prevent code from being executed on areas of memory flagged with an NX bit, and thereby to stop buffer overflow exploits from running arbitrary code.
Windows, with its large market share, has traditionally been a tempting target for virus creators. Also, security holes often aren't visible until they are exploited, making preemptive action difficult. Microsoft executives have stated that the release of patches to fix security holes is often what causes the spread of exploits against those very same holes, as crackers figured out what problems the patches fixed then launch attacks against unpatched systems.
Perhaps the greatest threats against Windows security are the actions of Windows users themselves. There is little defense against a user opening an e-mail attachment without realizing that it is malicious (the default setting of Windows XP to hide file extensions doesn't help in this regard), or failing to keep reasonably current on Windows Update patches.
Windows XP has been criticized for its product activation system. The system was introduced by Microsoft to curb illegal distribution of Windows XP [25], but while product activation and licensing servers are common for business and industrial software (especially software sold on a per-user basis for large sums of money), Windows XP gave many casual computer users their first introduction to "phone home" protection that requires the computer or the user to activate with Microsoft within a certain amount of time in order to be allowed to continue using the operating system. If the user's computer system ever changes - for example, if two or more relevant components (see list below) of the computer itself are upgraded - Windows may refuse to run until the user reactivates with Microsoft.
Privacy fears were raised about the nature of the data transmitted to Microsoft. Microsoft then released details about the nature of the information transmitted [26]. It includes a cryptographic hash of the following ten values:This information is used to seed the generation of a number which, along with the CD Key and country of installation, is transmitted to Microsoft. According to Microsoft, no specific details about the hardware are transmitted.
Critics have claimed that the default Windows XP user interface adds visual clutter and wastes screen space while offering no new functionality. There is also a perception that it consumes substantial additional processing overhead. Supporters of the new interface praise its task-oriented nature and the automatic grouping of related windows on the taskbar to reduce clutter, and point out that the higher system requirements of Windows XP allow it to easily handle the increased processor demand. With its default of large, highly coloured buttons, and a grassy hill as the Desktop Image , it is often compared to the Teletubbies by the computer press in the United Kingdom.
CNET's web site lists hundreds of positive and negative reviews of Windows XP Home [27] and Professional [28] from users. David Coursey, Executive Editor of ZDNet's AnchorDesk [29], and Paul Thurrott, who runs SuperSite for Windows [30] have both written positive reviews of the operating system.In light of the Microsoft antitrust case which resulted in Microsoft being convicted for illegally abusing its operating system monopoly to overwhelm competition in other markets, Windows XP has drawn fire for integrating user applications such as Windows Media Player and MSN Messenger into the operating system, as well as for its close ties to the Microsoft Passport network service. Attorneys General Richard Blumenthal of Connecticut and Tom Miller of Iowa, who had both been involved in the antitrust case against Microsoft, began discussing a new lawsuit even before the release of Windows XP [31].
In 2001, ProComp claimed that the bundling and distribution of Windows Media Player in Windows XP was a continuance of Microsoft's anticompetitive behavior [32], and that the integration of Passport into Windows XP was a further example of Microsoft attempting to gain a monopoly in web services [33]. Both of these claims were rebutted by the Association for Competitive Technology (ACT) and the Computing Technology Industry Association (CompTIA) [34] [35]. ProComp is a group including several of Microsoft's rivals, including Oracle, Sun, and Netscape. ACT and CompTIA are both funded by Microsoft. The battle being fought by fronts for each side was the subject of a heated exchange between Oracle's Larry Ellison and Microsoft's Bill Gates[36].
Microsoft responded on its "Freedom to Innovate" web site, pointing out that in earlier versions of Windows, Microsoft had integrated tools such as disk defragmenters, graphical file managers, and TCP/IP stacks, and there had been no protest that Microsoft was being anticompetitive. Microsoft asserted that these tools had moved from special to general usage and therefore belonged in its operating system.
To avoid the possibility of an injunction which might have delayed the release of Windows XP, Microsoft changed its licensing terms to allow PC manufacturers to hide access to Internet Explorer. Competitors dismissed this as a trivial gesture [37]. Later, Microsoft released a utility as part of the SP1 which allows icons and other links to bundled software such as Internet Explorer, Windows Media Player, and MSN Messenger to be removed. The components themselves remain in the system; Microsoft maintains that they are necessary for key Windows functionality (such as the HTML Help system and Windows desktop), and that removing them completely may result in unwanted consequences. One critic, Shane Brooks, has argued that Internet Explorer could be removed without adverse effects, as demonstrated with his product XPlite. Dino Nuhagic created his nLite software to remove many components from XP prior to installation of the product.
In the first release of Windows XP, the "Buy Music Online" feature always used Microsoft's Internet Explorer rather than any other web browser (see comparison of web browsers) the user may have set as his default. Whether this flaw was intentional or simply an oversight is unclear. Under pressure from the United States Department of Justice, Microsoft released a patch in early 2004, which corrected the problem [38].
| History of Microsoft Windows |
| Windows: 1.0 | 2.0 | 3.x | NT | 95 | 98 | Me | 2000 | XP | Server 2003 | CE | Pocket PC | Mobile | Longhorn | Blackcomb |
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