Intended For Windows XP Windows 2000

Windows 2000 benefits

• Windows 2000 has lower system requirements, and has a simpler interface (no "Styles" to mess with).
• Windows 2000 is slightly less expensive, and has no product activation.
• Windows 2000 has been out for a while, and most of the common problems and security holes have been uncovered and fixed.
• Third-party software and hardware products that aren't yet XP-compatible may be compatible with Windows 2000; check the manufacturers of your devices and applications for XP support before you upgrade.

Windows XP benefits

• Windows XP is somewhat faster than Windows 2000, assuming you have a fast processor and tons of memory (although it will run fine with a 300Mhz Pentium II and 128MB of RAM).
• The new Windows XP interface is more cheerful and colorful than earlier versions, although the less-cartoony "Classic" interface can still be used if desired.
• Windows XP has more bells and whistles, such as the Windows Movie Maker, built-in CD writer support, the Internet Connection Firewall, and Remote Desktop Connection.
• Windows XP has better support for games and comes with more games than Windows 2000.
• Windows XP is the latest OS - if you don't upgrade now, you'll probably end up migrating to XP eventually anyway, and we mere mortals can only take so many OS upgrades.
• Manufacturers of existing hardware and software products are more likely to add Windows XP compatibility now than Windows 2000 compatibility.

Written by: Annoyances.org
Last updated: Monday, January 21, 2002

Previous discussions about this article:
(open a message to see applicable responses, if any)

• [Windows XP] Question about 'What's the difference between Windows 2000 and Windows XP?' (Koahekili: Tuesday, January 15, 2002)
• [Windows 2000] Question about 'What's the difference between Windows 2000 and Windows XP?' (Ed: Tuesday, February 19, 2002)
• [Windows XP] How do you open an .sys file in Xp? (Katie Knake: Monday, May 20, 2002)
• [Windows 2000] Question about 'What's the difference between Windows 2000 and Windows XP?' (Cork: Sunday, August 4, 2002)
• [Windows 2000] Question about 'What's the difference between Windows 2000 and Windows XP?' (T23 User: Monday, September 2, 2002)
• [Windows 2000] W2K vs XP?' (brian slater: Friday, September 6, 2002)
• [Windows 98] Question about 'What's the difference between Windows 2000 and Windows 98?' (azra: Monday, October 21, 2002)
• [Windows XP] Question about 'What's the difference between Windows 2000 and Windows XP?' (Gene Harmon: Thursday, January 23, 2003)
• [Windows Me] Problem with ME (ramesh: Saturday, March 15, 2003)
• [Windows 98] Question about 'What's the difference between Windows 98 and Windows 95?' (kiran: Thursday, July 3, 2003)
• [Windows 2000] Question about 'What's the difference between Windows 2000 and Windows XP?' (Paul Rudoff: Monday, August 25, 2003)
• [Windows Me] Question about 'What's the difference between Windows 2000 and Windows Me?' (Dinesh: Sunday, September 14, 2003)
• [Windows Me] Difference in Windows (Barb: Sunday, January 18, 2004)
• [Windows 2000] Question about 'What's the difference between Windows 2000 and Windows XP?' (carlj: Friday, February 6, 2004)
• [Windows XP] Question about 'What's the difference between Windows 2000 and Windows XP?' (arvindhc: Thursday, August 12, 2004)
• [Windows 2000] Question about 'What's the difference between Windows 2000 and Windows NT?' (PRAVEEN.T.K.: Monday, October 11, 2004)
• [Windows 98] Question about 'What's the difference between Windows 2000 and Windows XP?' (ashok kumar: Thursday, March 31, 2005)
• [Windows XP] Question about 'What's the difference between Windows 2000 and Windows XP?' (Eric: Thursday, August 25, 2005)
• [Windows XP] Question about 'What's the difference between Windows 2000 and Windows XP?' (santosh: Thursday, October 20, 2005)
• [Windows Vista] Question about 'What's the difference between Windows 2000 and Windows vista?' (venu: Tuesday, February 14, 2006)
• [Windows 2000] Question about 'What's the difference between Windows 2000 and Windows XP?' (Marcel Brillant: Friday, March 31, 2006)
• [Windows XP] Question about 'What's the difference between Windows 2000 and Windows XP?' (sanket: Friday, June 9, 2006)
• [Windows 98] how to connect 98 to sever 2003 (srikanth: Sunday, June 11, 2006)
• [Windows Server 2003] Question about 'What's the difference between Windows 2000 and Windows 2003?' (Dev: Tuesday, June 27, 2006)
• [Windows XP] Question about 'What's the difference between Windows 2000 and Windows XP?' (suziecruz: Monday, December 18, 2006)
• [Windows XP] problem regarding installation of xp (ams: Friday, February 9, 2007)
• [Windows 2000] Question about 'What's the difference between Windows 2000 and Windows XP?' (HAL: Thursday, June 7, 2007)
• [Windows 2000] Unable to open photo CD's burned on XP with Windows 2000 reader (Clyde Holmes: Saturday, November 17, 2007)
• [Windows XP] Question about 'What's the difference between Windows 2000 and Windows XP?' (matt: Friday, March 14, 2008)
• [Windows Server 2003] Question about 'What's the difference between Windows 2003 and Windows XP?' (prasad: Wednesday, July 30, 2008)