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 Software : Microsoft Office XP Professional [OLD VERSION] |
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Rating:  - IT'S DECKED IN HYPES AND TWEAKS
Glorified tweaks here and there will only deceive those that they will. Unless your Office Suite is 97 or earlier, don't lend ears to all the hypes you hear. Most of the "improvements" attributed to Office XP are just over-advertised tweaks that only make the software a bit more user-friendly AND NOT more powerful.
Compared to Office 2000, Microsoft has put up fewer applications for more money: Office 2000 Professional has every application Office XP Professional has PLUS the Publisher and the Small Business Customer Manager. Also, there is this restrictive activation tinge in XP, which implies that if you have a desktop at home, and a laptop for your on-the-move runs, you may have to pay allover again in order to have identical software on your two machines. Fighting piracy is a good deed, but Microsoft must not compel millions of honest customers to pay for her anti-piracy pursuits.
All users of Windows 95 (or earlier versions) beware! Office XP will only run on Windows 98 (or later versions).
Rating:  - Not thrilled by the bugs
I purchased Office XP when I received my new computer with Windows XP. It was a terrible mistake. I've got nothing going on about MS and their registration demands. They have a right to keep people from stealing their stuff -- but when they sell expensive software that is full of bugs on the software platform it was designed for?!?! I was so less-than-impressed I got my money back. And that took work.
Rating: - WARNING: Obnoxious "activation" required
In keeping with Microsoft's total lack of concern for consumers, they have fixed this version so the purchaser must do a minimal registration via the web or phone in order to use the product. This means it is locked to your computer. This is an effort to prevent piracy. Preventing piracy is an honorable and important goal. However, there's more to it. If you upgrade or replace your computer, you'll have to call them on the phone and explain your story and if they think you're telling the truth, then maybe you can install the program you bought on your new computer. This also means that if you have two computers on your desk, you have to buy two copies, one for each computer. Also, this is Microsoft's first step toward forcing consumers to lease software instead of buying it. This move would likely force consumers to upgrade to the latest bloated version, even if they are happy with the old one.
Office XP is a decent set of applications, but there are at least two good alternatives that don't come with the obnoxious features. Check out either StarOffice or WordPerfect Office 2002. Both are excellent office suites and both are available on Amazon. Both are totally compatible with Microsoft Office file formats.
So, before dropping a ton of money on another Microsoft marketing scheme, consider the alternatives.
Rating:  - Greatly improved over Beta
I have been using Windows X-P since the final release. The Beta I hated but I like the final version fine. The upgrade from Windows 2000 Professional is not really necessary for everyone. For those doing a lot of graphic and motion pictures, it is certainly worth the upgrade. I have had no freezing, or crashes with it.
Rating:  - Well worth it!!
I went from Windows 98 2nd Edition to loading Windows XP. It makes one heck of a diference. The start-up time is about 30-60 seconds, as oposed to the 5 minutes and over it would take 98 to load for me. The promise of plug and play that was advertised in 98 is now actually available in XP. Stability is much improved also. I can let my machine run for a weekand a half now before it even hicups. It is a far cry from a perfect operating system, but it is the best attempt Microsoft has made in a long time, and it is leaps and bounds over their last couple. The tools that are included are very handy and extremly user friendly. The new look takes a little getting used to (it is somewhat bubbly), but the classic look is but a click away. Be prepared to upgrade some of your periferals though. Microsoft's new stance of supporting older products is somewhat bully-like. I had to upgrade to a new joystick for some of my games because their very own original Sidewinder Force Feedback is not supported in XP. This was pretty minor though, it was old technology.
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