Windows XP environment Free Essay Example

Windows XP is anoperating system produced by Microsoft for usage on personal computing machines, including place and concern desktops, laptops, and media centres. It was released in 2001. The name “ XP ” is short for “ experience. “ [ 3 ]

Windows XP is the replacement to both Windows 2000 Professional and Windows Me, and is the first consumer-oriented operating system produced by Microsoft to be built on theWindows NT kernelandarchitecture. Windows XP was foremost released on October 25, 2001, and over 400 million transcripts were in usage in January 2006, harmonizing to an estimation in that month by anIDCanalyst.

[ 4 ] It was succeeded byWindows Vista, which was released to volume licence clients on November 8, 2006, and worldwide to the general populace on January 30, 2007. DirectOEMand retail gross revenues of Windows XP ceased on June 30, 2008. Microsoft continued to sell XP through theirSystem Builders ( smaller OEMs who sell assembled computing machines ) plan until January 31, 2009. [ 5 ] [ 6 ] XP may go on to be available as these beginnings run through their stock list or by buying Windows Vista Ultimate or Business and thendowngradingto Windows XP.

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The most common editions of the operating system are Windows XP Home Edition, which is targeted at place users, and Windows XP Professional, which offers extra characteristics such as support forWindows Server domainsandtwo physical processors, and is targeted at power users, concern and endeavor clients.Windows XP Media Center Editionhas extra multimedia characteristics heightening the ability to record and watch Television shows, position DVD films, and listen to music.Windows XP Tablet PC Editionis designed to run stylus applications built utilizing theTablet PCplatform.

Windows XP was finally released for two extra architectures, Windows XP 64-bit EditionforIA-64 ( Itanium ) processors andWindows XP Professional x64 Editionforx86-64.

There is alsoWindows XP Embedded, a component version of the Windows XP Professional, and editions for specific markets such as Windows XP Starter Edition. By mid 2009, a maker revealed the first Windows XP powered cellular telephone. [ 9 ]

TheNT-based versions of Windows are known for their improved stableness and efficiency over the9xversions ofMicrosoft Windows. [ 10 ] [ 11 ] Windows XP presents a significantly redesignedgraphical user interface, a alteration Microsoft promoted as more user-friendly than old versions of Windows. A new package direction installation calledSide-by-Side Assemblywas introduced to better the “ DLL snake pit ” that plagues 9x versions of Windows. [ 12 ] [ 13 ] It is besides the first version of Windows to useproduct activationto combatillegal copying, a limitation that did non sit good with some users and privateness advocators. Windows XP has besides been criticized by some users for security exposures, tight integrating of applications such asInternet Explorer 6and Windows Media Player, and for facets of its default user interface. Later versions withService Pack 2, Service Pack 3, andInternet Explorer 8addressed some of these concerns.

During development, the undertaking wascodenamed ” Whistler ” , afterWhistler, British Columbia, as many Microsoft employeesskiedat theWhistler-Blackcombski resort. [ 14 ]

As of the terminal of February 2010, Windows XP is the most widely used operating system in the universe with a 58.4 % market portion, holding peaked at 76.1 % in January 2007. [ 15 ]