Much hype over new 'Windows'

Anand Parthasarathy

KOCHI, OCT. 24. The global launch on Thursday, of the much-hyped new version of Microsoft's computer operating system, WindowsXP (as in eXPerience), may have millions of lay users, drooling over its enhanced stability and multimedia capability, even as they worry over the privacy implications of some controversial, new features..

A huge marketing blitz budgeted at $ 200 million will pen in New York's Times Square, only a few hundred metres away from the September 11 terrorist attack: Microsoft's response to the Mayor, Mr. Rudy Giuliani's plea for businesses to signal a return to normality. As leading PC makers such as Dell join in the launch event, music fans will be treated to a free concert, nearby, led by pop singer, Sting. The recent hit song by Madonna,``Ray of Light'' is WindowsXP's official anthem, with its tagline, ``Faster than the speed of light, she's flying... Yes You Can!''

The hype was kicked off a week ago in Shanghai, during the Asia Pacific Economic Summit, attended by the U.S. President, Mr. George W. Bush, signalling the interest that the huge Chinese market holds to American IT majors.

Analysts who have previewed the new upgrade, applaud its improved stability after the crash-prone Windows 95 and 98 versions. ``XP'' also includes a sheaf of new features that will enhance the multimedia experience on the desktop PC - including the ability to handle a variety of video, still picture and music formats and to write on to CDs. But Microsoft has not provided software to create music files in the pioneering MP3 format - preferring to push its own alternative (and less popular) WMA format. The new version also signals the final death of DOS - the Disk Operating System that preceded Windows. Many DOS applications and even some written for Windows 3.1 will no longer run.

Meanwhile, WindowsXP has raised the hackles of consumer and privacy advocates with two new features. Over 13 organisations led by the U.S.-based Electronic Privacy Invasion Centre (EPIC) have complained to the Federal Trade Commission that the new operating system, in effect coerces users into parting with sensitive personal information. They point to the ``Passport'' feature which promises to consolidate multiple passwords used by PC owners to access email and online shopping options. There is apprehension that Microsoft, in spite of saying it will respect users' confidentiality, will have a huge data base of their private preferences and shopping habits which has potential saleable value. EPIC alleges that during the registration process of a new XP installation, one is asked five times whether one wants to sign up for Passport. The head of a privacy group, Junkbusters Inc., told Reuters that consumers must not sign up for Passport to get Internet access: ``Microsoft is not Lord of the Internet... My advice is just say no, no, no, no, and no.''

The registration process itself is likely to prove the most irritating feature of XP. Owners must go through an online product activation process which scans the PC hardware configuration and generates a unique number which fingerprints the PC. If they do not do this within 30 days, the software is likely to shut down. If they change the configuration more than two times, the software will self-lock unless the manufacturer reactivates it. In other words, if a home user exchanges the PC or drastically upgrades the machine he or she will have to buy a new version of XP every time, for every machine in the home.

Microsoft's responses has been that such software was always licensed for one platform - only now it is enforcing it.

But this has not cut ice with consumer activists. The Sydney Morning Herald quotes the Australian Consumer Association's criticism about the ``copyright protection fetish'' of companies such as Microsoft. ``Piracy is not resolved by conscripting all consumers across the globe in a fight on software piracy. Making them the foot troops in this battle is inappropriate''.

The other basic hurdle that may be faced by many Indian users is that WindowsXP will work well only on fairly new PCs. It can be upgraded only from Windows 98 - not 95. At least 128 MB of RAM is required and a processor clocking at least 300 MHz.

But chip manufacturer Intel told this correspondent last week that to exploit XP optimally a Pentium 4 clocking at least 15-1.7 GHz is recommended.

The new software is being priced internationally at $ 99 for an upgrade from Windows 98/Me and $ 199 for a new package in the Home Version.

The Professional edition is costlier by $ 100. Indian pricing was not available till today - but based on experience with previous Windows launches, street prices here should be slightly cheaper than the dollar-rupee conversion - that is around Rs. 5000 - Rs. 7500. That will make the new Windows a feature-enhanced, if fairly pricey, experience.

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