People say Windows XP is unstable .....  Is this true or just more Microsoft bashing by the armchair experts?

The myths continue about Windows XP and it's stability, vulnerability, reliability and just about anything else concerning Microsoft's latest operating system. Numerous people are just repeating, without foundation, information that their friends have passed onto them. Some journalists and magazine writers also 'spread the word' as well. I find it amusing because many times it is these people who were also advising their readers not to move to Windows 98 from Windows 95.

After 12 years in the personal computer support field it still amazes me how many people consider themselves 'computer experts'. They feel they know everything about software and hardware and most times blame every little glitch on the operating system, no  matter how tardy they have been with 'housekeeping' issues concerning viruses and other rogue software.

Blame Microsoft... never themselves or the 'expert' they sought their advice from!

Computers, the operating system and the hardware, are far more complex than modern motor vehicles however these armchair 'experts' would never dream of 'tinkering' with their motor vehicles, instead relying on trained and skilled personnel to provide the servicing and adjustments necessary to ensure safe and reliable motoring.

The statements that Windows XP is hard to operate, is unstable, is un-reliable are a falsehood and the product of the anti Microsoft users brigade. Windows XP is certainly more difficult to 'pirate' onto another Computer with the one CD and one licence number so there is a backlash from users who have for the last 10 years simply 'borrowed' friends pirated copies of various software including Windows 95, 98, ME and Windows 2000. The fact that Microsoft and other major software companies such as Symantec now institute 'activation' to try and stem the flow of stolen software has these users cut off from a costless upgrade path.

The 'expert' who freely offers advice to stay away from Windows XP and continue to use the "tried and tested" Windows 98SE is just mouthing a time worn opinion based on no technical facts other than their own, often ill-informed, prejudices. The facts are Windows XP is the only operating system that is capable of working efficiently and correctly with today's hardware, something many people are prepared to spend much money on getting the fastest and the latest.

There 'are' issues with product activation.. You get 30 days to use the product before you must 'activate it'. This is a simple affair, either via the Internet or toll free over the telephone. If major hardware changes are made within a 3 month period there may be a need to 're-activate'

In its quest for a secure, solid, reliable, stable operating system Microsoft has tried to enforce the user to install digitally signed drivers for any hardware connected. These drivers are normally the responsibility of the Hardware provider to whom the user should turn if there is a problem with their hardware.

The advent of a ultra modern and secure operating system has meant the end for most of the 'tinkerers' because when they persist with their constant adjusting, configuring, adding unstable software utilities and the like there comes a time when Windows XP may simply fail to start and then they come to a 'sticky end'. All is not lost though as the 'system restore' feature most times will assist with turning back the clock to a time before their 'problems' commenced.

If the user, or a Virus, or a Trojan actually 'corrupts' Windows XP the skills needed to restore to a working system can exceed the skills of the user so trained personnel may be necessary to recover from what sometimes is a self inflicted event. In my view it's no sense in complaining about the difficulties in recovering from such a situation. Users expect the modern operating system to be secure and it is a by-product of this security that once certain 'boundaries' have been crossed a corruption or other 'event' may occur.

Recently the doomsday experts have been predicting all kinds of problems with the release of SP2 (service pack 2) a major set of updates and security fixes. What these 'experts' may not be aware of is that for Microsoft's previous 'commercial' operating systems service packs have been a part of life. NT4 had six service packs and windows 2000 has had four service packs. Extensive testing has taken place before this SP2 was released and Microsoft has made much effort to ensure there will be minimal problems associated with its installation.

Users should read the precautions on the Microsoft website before attempting the SP2 installation. I encourage all users of Windows XP to install the SP2 as soon as possible.. There will be a time in the near future when not only Microsoft software but software from third party vendors will not run on a Computer without SP2. Just do it.. do not listen to the ill-informed armchair experts.