Making the Call on Windows XP

Microsoft has released a second beta of its next desktop operating system, Windows XP (formerly code-named Whistler), making this a good time for organizations to consider their operating system (OS) strategy. Windows XP offers improved stability and supportability over previous Windows versions but also presents some migration challenges. Organizations reviewing the second beta of Windows XP, the next desktop version of Windows, will face two basic questions: first, are there compelling reasons to upgrade their desktops to Windows XP Professional, and second, what will it take to upgrade from their current version of Windows to Windows XP?

Microsoft will consolidate its consumer and business desktop operating systems under a single code base based on Windows 2000 with the release of Windows XP. However, the single code base does not mean a single version; XP will ship in two editions: Windows XP Home Edition for consumers and Windows XP Professional for business users. The consumer focus creates a requirement to ship Windows XP to meet OEM deadlines for preinstalling Windows XP on their computers for back-to-school and holiday sales, meaning Microsoft will ship Windows XP while Whistler Server (sometimes referred to as Windows .NET Server) is still in beta.