Chapter one. New Windows for Old Users: What's New, What's ChangedIN THIS CHAPTER What Windows XP Is and What It Isn't 4 Under the Hood 11 Windows XP's New "Look and Feel" Features 16 Windows XP's New Internet Features 23 Windows XP's New Multiuser and Multiple-PC Features 27 Windows XP's New Audio and Video Features 28 Windows XP's New System Utilities 34 Changing Default Applications 35 Windows XP's Help and Registration Features 36 Feature Comparison 37 Old Versus New: How to Do What You Used to Do 40 What's Next After Windows XP? 42 The Bottom Line 43 I've been using Windows XP since its release in 2001, and I like what I see. Performance- and stability-wise, it's a marked improvement over Windows 98 and Windows Me. It also sports a spiffy new interface, and brings out into the open a lot of common operations that used to be hidden on a pull-down or pop-up menu. Like any new version of Windows, however, it takes a little getting used to especially if, like me, you've gotten used to the way the old Windows worked. This chapter takes you on a guided tour of Windows XP. I tell you about all the new features of the operating system, and show you how Windows XP changes the way you perform some common tasks. I assume that you're already familiar with some previous versions of Windows, so I won't bore you with basic stuff like how to click your mouse or open a window. Instead, I try to get right to the good stuff what you need to know to get started using Windows XP right now. |