Usability 
XP is easy to use, no question. Except for Mac OS 10.1, it's the easiest operating system we've seen. There are wizards galore for such applications such as Files and Settings Transfer for setting up home networking. Adding USB devices is simpler, too. Most of what we connected was recognized, and XP installed the necessary drivers. Working with music and image files is easy because XP takes a task-based approach. For instance, the Media Player guides you step-by-step if you want to burn a CD. Still, expect at least a nominal learning curve.
In Windows XP, Microsoft made several changes to the
Start button to make accessing commonly used files, folders, and applications easier. Once you begin using the new Start button, you'll quickly discover that there isn't much of a learning curve for mastering its layout. While there was little change in the Start Menu between Windows 98 and Me, Windows XP makes a significant shift. Even if you don't like what you see, you can change many of XP's elements. For a full review of the kinds of tweaks XP allows, see our take on how to manage the
XP desktop.
MPXP (Windows Media Player) 
The
media player finally offers CD burning, perhaps the most useful change. The biggest omission is MP3 ripping, but
third-party downloads are available from such companies such Cyberlink and Intervideo. Keep in mind that to take advantage of MPXP's DVD features, you'll need a DVD-ROM drive and a third-party application. Many systems that come bundled with DVD-ROM drives come equipped with software to play DVDs. To use MP3 encoding within MPXP or play DVDs, you can download a plug-in offered by either Intervideo or Cyberlink, though both companies offer MP3 encoding and DVD decoding as a package for $19.95.
Movie Maker 
Without question, the biggest oversight in XP is its severely limited
video editing app. Don't expect anything from this "tool" except minor features such as dragging and dropping video files into a timeline, which you can then accent with the occasional fade. We weren't expecting much, but you'll be better off with a separate video editing application. (See our article,
Video Editing: Fast, Cheap, and Easy, for suggestions.)
Internet Explorer 6.0 Despite Netscape's recent bid for whatever's left of the browser market, Microsoft maintains a staunch lead. The
updated version has relatively useful cookie management tools, a pared down media player, and a tool that resizes images so that they fit into the browser window. The interface doesn't look radically different, though it does sport an XP look, if only minimally.
