Windows XP review

Internet Explorer has been updated again, too. Now running at version 6 (available free via download), its new Image Toolbar instantly captures images from Web sites, for resizing and e-mailing with little loss in quality, while the all-new Media Bar lets you play video and music files inside Explorer. This negates the need to open another application such as Media Player.

Digital camera buffs will love the way XP automatically picks up images when you plug in a camera or memory card, and there's also a genuinely useful wizard which helps you name and save the pictures you extract from the device.

CD burning is well catered for, with built-in software letting you copy straight onto a CD-R or CD-R/W without having to fire up a program like Easy CD Creator.

XP also promises good support for games that use DirectX 8.1. Older programs and games that wouldn't previously work under Windows 2000 can now be 'fooled' into working with the new compatibility mode.

Another major improvement for XP is how easy it is to keep files, documents and e-mails away from the prying eyes of different users. Separate password-protected accounts could be set up under previous versions of Windows, but now it only takes seconds to switch users - and you don't even have to log off first!

System stability is important, and Windows 98 users will notice how XP warns you if you attempt to install drivers that haven't been digitally signed - that is, tested and approved by Microsoft. XP actually prevents problem drivers from loading. Me drivers, incidentally, don't work under XP, but if XP doesn't have the correct drivers for your hardware built in, you could try using 2000 ones.

The clever System Restore utility has been carried over from Windows Me, allowing you to roll back your PC to an earlier, trouble-free state. But System Restore is just a part of the clever new Help and Support Center. It also brings Help files from your hard disk and the Internet together in one location. Searching will not only display local help, but also shows results from the online Microsoft Knowledge Base.

Saving the best for last, I have to praise the potentially revolutionary Remote Assist-ance program. A technical support person, or a knowledgeable friend with an XP computer, will be able to connect up to your computer via the Internet and control it as if they were sitting in front of it - PC nightmare over.

Is it for me?

So should you make the upgrade? For Windows 98 and Me users, the Home Edition is an excellent buy. Its various improvements, most notably stability, make the £90 upgrade price well worth paying - just make sure your PC is up to running it first. In my experience, I'd be only be inclined to go for the upgrade if my PC was around double Microsoft's minimum recommended specification.

For those with Windows 2000 Professional, the main benefits of XP are its support for more multimedia and games. If you're running 2000 you won't be able to upgrade to Home Edition, and it'll actually be cheaper to go for an upgrade to XP Professional. And if you're buying a new computer, Windows XP is the only way to go - no self-respecting PC will leave the factory without it.