RSS feedsThere is no doubt that Windows XP offers some outstanding benefits to the PC user. It is more feature-packed and user-friendly than previous Microsoft operating systems and, crucially, is far more stable, which means fewer crashes.
However, this extra oomph will do more than lighten your wallet by a hundred-odd pounds; it will make greater demands on your PC than any previous operating system.
Microsoft states that the minimum requirements for a PC running Windows XP are a 233MHz processor, 64MB of memory, 1.5GB of hard disk space and a CD-Rom drive from which to install it. But is this realistic?
To find out, we're going to look at a variety of PCs from up-to-date models to those who saw their best days when Alan Shearer was still banging in goals for England. We'll see how they perform on Windows ME and then we'll upgrade them to Windows XP to see if this causes any problems. We'll also see whether the PCs perform faster or slower in everyday operations.
See if you recognise your PC in any of the models here to find out if it can handle the upgrade to XP.
1996 vintage
First up is a Compaq Deskpro 6000. Once at the cutting edge, this PC is now a bit of a has-been with its 400MHz Intel Pentium 2 processor, 64MB of memory and 4GB hard disk. It falls above Microsoft's minimum requirements for Windows XP but we expected it to struggle with an operating system that hogged almost half of its hard disk space.
With Windows ME, Microsoft Word, Internet Explorer 5, Outlook Express and editing package Video Explosion Deluxe, the Deskpro had a hard job keeping up with things.
The upgrade to Windows XP took three hours - twice as long as it usually takes - but there were no other problems. The elderly Compaq allowed us to browse the internet and send emails with no greater lag than when the machine had Windows ME installed. We were also able to open and save documents in Word without any great difficulty.
Most impressively, we could use our video editing program to edit short movies using provided clips.
The good news therefore is that the machine can cope with Windows XP. The not-so-good news is that it exacts a price. The Compaq did slow down noticeably after the upgrade and, while Word and web browsing were usable, the more demanding Video Explosion Deluxe was frustratingly slow.
If you have a PC of this calibre and intend to continue using it, you're better off sticking with an older, less demanding operating system, such as Windows 98 (or if you fancy a challenge, Linux, but that's another story). Windows XP will certainly install and run but the result isn't a pleasurable experience.
Pride of Pentium III
Next is a Mesh PC from 1999, which is not that long ago but another age in computer terms. This has a 700MHz Intel Pentium III processor, 128MB of memory and an 8GB hard disk. Again, this is a PC with plenty of software already installed, including Microsoft Office and Corel Draw 9, as well as the OCR package Abbyy Fine Reader Pro 6 and the resource-hungry Adobe Photoshop 6.
With Windows ME installed, the PC coped very well until it came to using Photoshop, when it moved into an altogether slower gear. The PC also crashed with some frequency, so we looked forward to a more stable experience with Windows XP.
The upgrade to XP took 90 minutes and there were no problems. Once installed, we didn't notice any speed difference with the various Office applications, although in Photoshop tasks were completed just that little bit faster and more smoothly. Indeed this was backed up by our overall performance test scores in which the Mesh improved considerably after the XP upgrade.
It wasn't all sunshine and joy with Windows XP, though. Our graphics card test showed that the PC played games faster under Windows ME. There was also little hard disk space left after the XP upgrade, which might limit the PC's access to other applications. On balance, though, if you have a PC of a similar specification and are frustrated with program crashes, the move to Windows XP might be the solution.
On the move
Just because you use a notebook PC, it doesn't mean that you have to miss out on Windows XP. The minimum specification for notebooks is the same as it is for desktop PCs so if your PC is up to it, you can upgrade.
We tested an Iridium notebook with an 800MHz Intel Celeron processor, 128MB of memory and a 15GB hard disk. It coped well with the upgrade to Windows XP but we were surprised to find that the Windows ME-equipped Iridium outperformed the Windows XP incarnation in our overall performance test.
In everyday operations, however, this didn't make a lot of difference and the Iridium coped just as well with both operating systems.
We were able to use Office applications and the more demanding Adobe Photoshop smoothly and without difficulty.
So don't treat your notebook differently if you are planning on upgrading to XP. Like their desktop brethren, notebooks will cope well with Windows XP if they have the right specification.
A-OK with AMD
The PCs we have looked at so far all have Intel processors but the minimum requirements apply equally to processors from other manufacturers, such as AMD.
We tested a PC from Jal with a 1.2GHz AMD Duron processor, 256MB of memory and a 40GB hard disk. There is no doubt that this PC has the power to cope with Windows XP and indeed we had no problems with the upgrade.
The PC whizzed convincingly through tasks we carried out when using both Windows ME and XP. Interestingly, though, when we looked at the test scores for the Jal, we found that it performed better with Windows ME than with Windows XP.
This is because XP is a more stable but larger, more ungainly operating system and requires a bit more PC power to get it going. However, this PC is well-specified to absorb this so that you won't notice any difference in speed in everyday use.
High-end PC
We have included a high-end PC because all new PCs will have Windows XP pre-installed. With these newer and faster PCs, Windows XP comes into its own. We tested the Advent 3509, which has a 2.4GHz Intel Pentium 4 processor, 512MB of memory and 80GB of hard disk space.
In our overall performance and 3D performance tests, the Advent scored higher when using Windows XP than it did using Windows ME. Again, in terms of everyday use you won't notice any difference between either operating system on a machine this powerful.
Make the grade
Microsoft's published minimum requirements are fairly accurate but, to get the best from Windows XP, we recommend a higher minimum specification.
If you have a PC with a lower specification, such as the Compaq we tested here, don't upgrade to XP. Your PC will show signs of sluggishness and become frustrating to use. If you are happy with an elderly PC, then an elderly operating system will serve it best. For PCs with a specification above our recommendations, you will be able to upgrade to XP without any problems.
XP compatibility
Having a PC that is up to the task of running Windows XP isn't the only issue that has rankled with PC users. Perhaps even more of a bugbear has been compatibility. The truth is that XP just doesn't work well with a lot of older software and hardware.
Microsoft has done its homework on this problem, however, and when you install Windows XP, it checks your PC for any incompatibilities.
The vendor has also made a Windows XP Upgrade Advisor available as a free download. This means that you can check if your PC is compatible before you buy. The Windows XP Upgrade Advisor analyses the hardware and software on your PC and flags any potential compatibility problems.
The file is about 30MB, however, and we wouldn't recommend downloading it using a dial-up connection.
Alternatively, you can check if individual hardware and software components are XP-compatible by using the search tool on the Microsoft website.
Compatibility sites
Windows XP Upgrade Advisor
XP compatibility search tool
WHAT YOU NEED
Microsoft's minimum requirements:
- 233MHz processor
- 64MB of memory
- 1.5GB of hard disk space
- CD-Rom drive
Our recommended requirements:
- 700MHz processor
- 128MB of memory
- 1.5GB of hard disk space
- CD-Rom drive.
