Strengths:NTFS file system, partition compression, plus fool-proof uninstalling
Weaknesses:It uses a lot of disk space (my 4 GB partition is nearly full); Control Panel interface is clumsy and murky
Posted Nov 29, 2005 - I finally had to bite the bullet and upgrade from Windows ME. If your a student, this is the way to go. The OS installed easily, even on my flaky system (since repaired) and startup is much quicker than I had been led to believe.
The OS allows you to use FAT32 or NTFS, and NTFS partitions can be compressed - important if your hard drive is getting full.
System Restore seems much more automated and much more reliable than with Windows ME.
On the down side, the control panel in this, as in other versions of XP, is clumsy and difficult to navigate in comparison with previous versions of Windows. Also I recommend at least a 6 GB boot partition for the OS and associated files if you want to avoid using disk compression. Even though I install all other software on an extended partition, and my swap file has *its* own partition, my 4GB boot partition is uncomfortably full.
On the whole, it gives me a feeling of reliability that I have not felt since OS/2. The OS is mature and the price is right. If you don't have XP yet, this is the way to go.
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