Windows XP

Windows XP
	Part of the Microsoft Windows family
	The logo and wordmark of Windows XP
Developer
	Microsoft Corporation
Releases
Initial release	1999 (as a beta version/Microsoft Windows Codename Whistler); August 24, 2001; 15 years ago [info]
Stable release	5.1 (Build 2600: Service Pack 3) (April 21, 2008; 9 years ago) [info]
Source model	Closed source, Shared source
License	Proprietary commercial software
Kernel type	Hybrid
Update method	Windows Update; Windows Server Update Services (WSUS); System Center Configuration Manager (SCCM)
Platform support	IA-32, x86-64 and Itanium
Preceded by	Windows 2000 (2000); Windows ME (2000)
Succeeded by	Windows Vista (2007)
Support status
	Support ended on April 8, 2014

Windows XP is a version of the Microsoft Windows operating system for personal computers. Microsoft released Windows XP on October 25, 2001. Windows XP replaced Windows 2000 and Windows Me, which helped complete the unification of the NT and 9x branches of Windows. It was replaced by Windows Vista. The letters "XP" stand for eXPerience.^[2] Windows XP was the second most used computer operating system in the world as of April 2012.^[3] Microsoft stopped supporting Windows XP on April 8, 2014.

Editions[change | change source]

Windows XP Home Edition is an edition that was made for home users.

Windows XP Professional was made for business users, as well as power users. It had advanced management features^[which?].

Windows XP Media Center Edition was for people who liked to use their computer as a television box.

Windows XP Tablet PC Edition was for users with pen-based laptops and early tablet PCs.

Windows XP 64-bit Edition was for computers that ran on Intel's 64-bit Itanium platform. This should not be confused with Windows XP x64 Edition, as x64 and Itanium are completely different architectures. Unlike Windows XP x64 Edition, 64-bit Edition has fewer features than Windows XP Professional. Some of these features included NTVDM and Windows on Windows, which means that 16-bit MS-DOS applications will not be able to run. It also was missing Windows Media Player features, but Windows XP 64-bit Edition Version 2003, released on March 2003, added back these media features.

Windows XP x64 Edition is for users with 64-bit x86-based computers. It has the same features as Windows XP Professional except for NTVDM, and introduced Windows on Windows 64, which lets 32-bit applications run on a 64-bit operating system and processor.

Windows XP Starter Edition was sold mostly in developing countries. The price was low because Microsoft wanted to fight the high software piracy rate in those countries. It could only be bought with a new computer.

System requirements[change | change source]

The system requirements for Windows XP Home and Professional editions are:^[4]

	Minimum	Recommended
Processor	233 MHz	300 MHz or higher
Memory	64 MB RAM (may limit performance and some features)	128 MB RAM or higher
Video adapter and monitor	Super VGA (800 x 600)	Super VGA (800 x 600) or higher resolution
Hard drive disk free space	1.5 GB	1.5 GB or higher
Drives	CD-ROM or DVD-ROM	CD-ROM or DVD-ROM
Devices	Keyboard	Keyboard and mouse
Others	Sound card, speakers, and headphones	Sound card, speakers, and headphones