Microsoft Preview Windows XP

ByABC News
February 14, 2001, 9:32 AM

S E A T T L E, Feb. 14 -- Hoping to appeal to consumers, Microsoft Corp. says its new Windows XP desktop operating system will make everything from downloading music to playing home videos quicker and easier.

At a news conference previewing the new system, which is to bereleased in the second half of this year, Vice President JimAllchin said Tuesday that XP would be as useful for his mother asfor businesses.

Touting the many functions of the new system, Microsoft ChairmanBill Gates said the product would meet the demand that theWindows setup be the center of any personal computing system.Allchin demonstrated the ease with which people can use Windows XPto download music for a morning run, view pictures from a familyvacation or watch a DVD movie.

Speaking at the Experience Music Project, the rock n rollmuseum built by Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen, Gates repeatedlyreferred to the experience of using XP. But neither Gates norAllchin could point to more than a handful of truly new experiencesthat the system has to offer.

Shawn Sanford, group product manager for Windows, also said thecompany was aiming for a new look and a new experience with XP,but he also stressed the products new reliability and familyfriendly features.

A First

Windows XP is the first consumer-oriented system to use the morereliable Windows 2000 software code, which was designed forheavier-duty corporate and Internet users. It also features a fewnew gadgets that will appeal to families and nonprofessional users.

With XP, multiple users can save files on one computer, but keepthose files private from others using the same computer. It alsoallows an authorized person on one computer to access anothercomputer over the Internet, to fix problems. Also with Windows XP,people can access their own computer from another computer througha new remote access function.

Along with the additional interactive features, Sanford said thenew version of Windows offers built-in security features, such asencryption, but that the company also didnt want to limit peoplewho wanted to interact heavily over the Internet or other networks.