Reviews for Microsoft Windows XP Professional With Service Pack 2 Upgrade

XP Pro

Strengths: Must have this operating system to be able to use certain software

Weakness: Too much software to do so little

I tried Vista Home Premium and am back grading to XP Pro. XP Pro is much better at most functions that an operating system must perform. It is a shame that Microsoft has to shove so much unneeded "required" functionality up our RAM to just be able to boot up a personal computer.

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Excellent Upgrade

Strengths: NTFS file system, partition compression, plus fool-proof uninstalling

Weakness: It uses a lot of disk space (my 4 GB partition is nearly full); Control Panel interface is clumsy and murky

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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Windows XP Pro Academic Upgrade w/SP2

Strengths: Excellent price compared to the full retail version, stable, does a good job configuring new hardware and finding drivers.

Weakness: Frequent updates needed to stay "safe".

This is the most stable operating system Microsoft has put out to date. New devices and their drivers are found almost every time and most programs are written to support Windows XP. This academic upgrade is such a bargain compared to the full retail or general upgrade versions. All you need to be is a student or work in the education system to purchase it. Proof is required from the vendor that you qualify for this academic upgrade via fax or email. Activation and registration is an inconvenience but a minor one if you are connected to the internet. I have been using Windows XP for years but this is the first academic version I have ever purchased. There is absolutely no difference between this version and any other version of an XP Pro upgrade. If you have a licensed version of Windows 98 on up on your computer or a full version, not an upgrade, CD with Windows 98 or up on it you can install this upgrade.

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Windows XP SP2

Strengths: Good OS. Best effort by MS to date. Having SP2 included is helpful and time-saving. OS is stable, clean, and useful.

Weakness: IE is clumsy and slow to respond compared to other browsers. The activation and validation sequence is a hassle considering the software was already purchased from an authorized dealer w/ a valid key

It's windows, love it or hate it. XP is the best option for a win32 OS. Better wifi and USB support and better memory management than 2000, and magnitudes beyond anything 9x/ME ever hoped to be. I look forward to Vista, though with some trepidation.

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Just what was needed

Strengths: Got exactly what was represented

Weakness: None

I bought this to use as a replacement when I (intentionally) lobotomized my wife's Acer that came with Windows Vista, a truly horrific OS that has no place on a PC.

This vendor's product had a proper, never-used reg# and worked exactly as expected.

100% happy.

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By member: cmangrum - Aug 31, 2005

Windows XP Pro W/SP2 - Academic Upgrade

Strengths: Its a very good product which provides added strength and fuctionality to the windows home edition- also has SP2 built in which is a added plus

Weakness: can sometimes freeze up

I would offer this product to anyone who needs a upgrade from what they already have, then this is a good choice. Also, you dont have to even worry about SP2 its already built in which is a added plus.

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Windows XP with SP 2

Strengths: Stable and dependable, still 2x faster than Vista with SP 1

Weakness: Its a Microsoft product with too much overhead at times.

This license was for a new PC I built. I still prefer XP Pro over Vista because of stability, reliability, and lower system resource overhead. It's way faster than Vista and very compatible with just about any software app out there. Even so, over a period of 1-2 years the registry loads up with junk, especially if apps are being added or removed, and it begins to slow down or do the unexpected at times. Unless something radical happens with Vista in a future SP, I'm sticking with XP until the next Microsoft OS is ready for prime time.

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Windows XP Pro

Strengths: Better utlization of hardware, nice features, good security

Weakness: Doesnot work like upgrade

It was little frustrating to install the software like a new operating system rather than as an upgrade. Other than that this is a great OS with much better performance and security.

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Windows XP Professional W/SP2 (Academic Upgrade)

Strengths: Better than Vista, quick booting, more features than XP Home

Weakness: Default interface is annoying, somewhat bloated

I bought this software to replace the Windows Vista that came with my new laptop. I would much rather use the "outdated" XP than the latest incarnation of Windows. Despite its shortcomings, XP is a decent operating system, one of the better ones Microsoft has developed. The academic pricing brings this OS down to a bargain price, instead of the obscene retail price. I recommend this software to anyone looking for a usable Microsoft OS.

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XP Pro Upgrade

Strengths: Very helpful and quick delivery. Highly recommend!

Very helpful and quick delivery. Highly recommend! I had an installation problem and they were right on it. Problem solved promptly and had me up and running quickly.

Thanks again!

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Not Vista, but the best Microsoft O/S to date

Strengths: Stability. Consistency of features.

Weakness: Vulnerability to viruses/spam. Constant requirement to download the latest security patches.

This is the first Microsoft O/S that finally works as advertised. It isn't perfect, but it does not require all the constant tinkering that Windows 95, 98, 98 SE, Millenium Edition all did. It has Windows 2000's stability with the hardware support of Windows 9X. It seems to support just about every piece of hardware around, except for those museum pieces from the DOS days. I really have no complaints about this O/S. I may upgrade to Vista for my primary machine when it comes out for consumers, but I have no hesitation running this on the other machines in my house.

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WinXP Pro

Weakness: Had to install several times buit it finally took

Received material in a very timely manner. It was an Academic Copy not for resale so I didn't understan that but it worked. Hope i don;t get any trouble from Microsoft.

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