Since our last look at Windows NT 5.0, the naming convention and marketing strategy of the operating system have drastically changed. What was to be Windows NT 5.0 Workstation and Server will now be four different flavors of Windows 2000. Subsequent versions will be named for years instead of product version numbers. For example, Windows 2002 or 2004 are likely successors. Products will also be underscored with a "Built on NT Technology" promise to ensure customers that the technology remains consistent.
Microsoft plans to market four different versions of Windows 2000:
| Windows 2000 Professional
| Windows 2000 Server
| Windows 2000 Advanced Server
| Windows 2000 Datacenter Server | |
Each version will vary according to performance, price, and the number of processors that the OS will accommodate.
Windows 2000 Servers will run on machines containing up to two processors. Windows 2000 Advanced Server will work with machines running up to four processors. Servers equipped with Advanced Server can also be tied together in fail-safe clusters, under which one machine can cover for another in case of a breakdown. Windows 2000 Datacenter Server will be able to accommodate sixteen processors
One question that many users ask is, "What's different about Windows 2000?" The main difference in Windows 2000 is what you can't see. Windows 2000 is based on NT technology but you will probably never see this. But what can you see? Well, let's take a look at some of these new features.
| Plug-n-Play: similar to Windows 95/98. This should be the first NT
Plug-n-Play that works correctly, but it still needs working on.
| USB & FireWire Support: Universal Serial Bus and 1394 IEEE
high-speed interfaces.
| OnNow ACPI: Advanced Configuration & Power Interface to allow
systems to seem to turn on instantly, and save power (especially on
laptops).
| Easier Migration: An upgrade path from Windows 95 to NT will be
included.
| Storage Management: Wang-provided hierarchical storage management.
| Disk Volume Management: An updated Disk Administrator tool.
| Active Directory: An x.500/LDAP implementation, replacing WINS and
the Domain concept.
| Scripting Tools: DOS .cmd files will be replaced with Active
Scripting, using Visual Basic.
| TCP/IP: Version 6.0 of the TCP/IP protocol will be supported.
| ATM Support: Native ATM support will be included with Windows 2000.
| Defrag Utility: A defragmentation utility for NTFS will be included
with Windows 2000, written by ExecSoft.
| FAT32 Support: Support to at least read FAT32 volumes.
| More RAM: Can utilize up to 32GB RAM.
| SysClone: Allows configurations to be set and copied to multiple
desktop systems.
| CardBus: Windows 2000 will support CardBus, for hot-swapping PCMCIA
cards.
| DirectX 7: For those of you gamers out there, Windows 2000 will
also ship with DirectX 7.
| Internet Explorer 5: Included with Windows 2000 will be IE5. We
will talk more about this later in this article.
| New Start Menu: There is a new start menu that tracks programs you
have previously launched.
| New Dialogs: Dialog boxes offer more choices for easier use.
| File Associations: Microsoft has totally revamped the file
association section of the OS with improved simplicity and usability.
| Folder Makeover: Folder makeovers and new options for folders can
be found in Windows 2000.
| Customized Toolbars: It includes the first truly customizable
toolbar in a Windows OS.
| Sturdier Search: Finding files, computers, people, or Web sites has
never been easier or faster than with the enhanced search engine.
| Networking: New networking options and features help you get
connected faster and easier.
| Active Directory: LAN resources available at your fingertips.
| Microsoft Management Console: A new ISV-extensible, common console
framework for management applications. | |
These are just a few of the new features. And with just these few new features, it looks like this is the first version of NT technology that everyone can enjoy. With the name change to Windows 2000, it specifies that NT isn't just a networking OS anymore. Keep tuned to http://www.agathering.net for future Windows 2000 articles and updates!
Microsoft has drastically simplified the upgrade and installation process in this beta. During the upgrade, a compatibility report is automatically generated letting you know whether your hardware and software is compatible with Windows 2000. During our test installations, neither of our sound cards had drivers included, nor were our modems supported. Through a little work though, we were able to get our modems to work. As for the sound cards, we had no luck.
So you can see there are still some problems to be worked out. Windows 98 users will be disappointed to learn that you can't customize the programs that you want installed during setup anymore. Instead, Windows 2000 installs pre-defined applications and services. There will still be ways to install and uninstall programs, but not during the actual setup.
All in all, the installation was straightforward and simple. If you have installed NT before, you will like this installation much better, but if you are strictly a Windows 9x user, you will probably miss Windows 98's pretty install program. But even if it isn't as pretty, Microsoft has done a good job with making the installation procedure go as smoothly as possible. The only thing that might cause irritation is installing unsupported hardware . Hopefully Microsoft will work out some of the hardware incompatibility problems before the final release. You might also be annoyed if you don't want some of the pre-installed programs, but they can be removed later.
Simplicity and Usability Improvements
Microsoft has gone to great lengths to ensure that users have a more simplified and standard user experience with Windows 2000. They do this by incorporating more customization options and adding revamped, yet more powerful, wizards. You can also install different languages and personalize your computer easily.
In Windows 2000, searching for files and folders is more commonplace. With it being more heavily used, they had to make some changes for simplified use. Now when you search for files and folders you are greeted with a new look. This new looks makes it seem like you are using a search engine on the Internet instead of the old out-of-date search procedures that previous OSes have used. This usability improvement has become more standard for today's users.
Accessibility
New accessibility tools and features have also been included in Windows 2000. You can adjust the appearance and behavior of Windows 2000 to suit some eyesight, hearing, and motor skills without requiring any additional software or hardware. Windows 2000 includes the following additional utilities to enhance accessibility:
| Magnifier: Enlarges a portion of the screen for easier viewing.
| Narrator: Uses text-to-speech technology to read the contents of
the screen.
| On-Screen Keyboard: Provides users with limited mobility the
ability to type on-screen using a pointing device.
| Utility Manager: Provides hot keys for you to easily access
Accessibility components. | |
Improved Networking and Internet Access
Windows 2000 sports new communication capabilities in this beta, including the latest build of Internet Explorer 5 and also a new and improved version of its email client, Outlook Express 5. Outlook Express seems to be more stable and comes with new features that will impress many users. Some new features include the ability to set up multiple signatures and assign them to specific accounts, added Hotmail integration, and enhanced searching capabilities. But probably the most needed feature Outlook Express 5 added is the ability to switch and add new identities. This makes it possible for multiple users to use OE 5 without being able to see each other's email.
Internet Explorer 5 includes faster Web viewing, adds more customizations, and more stability than earlier releases, plus auto-repairing DLLs. It also includes some user enhanced features such as AutoCorrect, AutoComplete (Addresses), AutoComplete (Web Forms), and an AutoSearch. Printing is also easier in IE 5 with the added ability to switch between printers and add printers when you click the print button.
Network Neighborhood has taken a name change in Windows 2000 and has now become My Network Places. My Network Places has been redesigned with a new look. Instead of listing all computers located in your workgroup or domain, Microsoft has categorized the network places as follows:
| Entire Network (used in Windows 9x and NT 4.0)
| Computers Near Me (new, allows you to view all computers in your workgroup
or domain)
| Add New Network Place (allows you to add a network resource or ftp site
for quick access) | |
MMC does not provide any management functionality, but instead provides a common environment for snap-ins. Snap-ins are management components integrated into a common host--and this host is MMC. Each snap-in provides one unit of management behavior, and multiple snap-ins can be combined to build a custom management tool. Snap-ins allow a system administrator to extend and customize the console to meet specific management objectives. Check back soon for articles pertaining on how to use the MMC to your advantage!
If you run into any problems, Windows 2000 Help has many new troubleshooting guides to help you, and you can make favorite topics in Help that will allow you to go back as often as you like. There is also, of course, an extensive search that allows you to search on topics and get thorough reports of related items and topics.
After our first look at Windows 2000 we must say that, once final, Windows 2000 looks to be a much needed and significantly improved version of Windows. But for now, there is still work to be done. Driver support and Plug-and-play still aren't up to par with what Windows 9x users are accustomed to. We have experienced some of the same compatibility problems that have been reported by beta testers. But this is still in beta and some buggy features and minor problems are to be expected. From a brand perspective, Windows 2000 will be very "in sync" with upcoming programs such as Office 2000 . Also on the upside, Windows 2000 seems to be more Y2K compliant than its predecessors.
There are so many new features included with Windows 2000 that we will be completing a series of articles in the near future to help you learn more about this upcoming operating system. We plan on taking more in-depth looks and providing you with all the information you could want. Stay tuned for Poll's that ask what you, the user, are most interested in for this upcoming operating system.
But as for now, Windows 2000 beta 3 is scheduled to be released on April 21st, and the final release date of Windows 2000 is set for October of this year. It seems that Microsoft has finally produced an operating system that will be a significant consumer release and will prove to be a better upgrade than Windows 98 was!