Windows 2000 Not for Everyone
Microsoft on Thursday will release Windows 2000 with a multimillion-dollar advertising campaign aimed at small businesses.
The company is hoping millions of business users will switch to the new operating system, which replaces Windows NT. Windows 98 will continue to be aimed at the consumer market until the company releases Windows Millennium Edition later this year.
Windows 2000 has a lot of things going for it, but just because it has some advantages over Windows NT and Windows 98 doesn’t mean everyone should buy it.
My purpose here isn’t to evaluate the software--that’s another issue--but to counsel caution before you undertake a major operating system upgrade. Even though Microsoft did a good job testing thousands of business applications, there are always rough spots in a transition. Microsoft has, in fact, dedicated several Web pages to upgrade issues (https://www.microsoft.com/windows2000/upgrade).
If you’re considering upgrading to Windows 2000 or any other new operating system, you need to take stock of your existing hardware and software, network connections and overall needs.
If you then decide to upgrade, do it when you can devote time to the changeover. If you have multiple machines, make the change in stages so that you have backup systems running the old operating system during the transition.
First, determine that Windows 2000 is compatible with your machines. Microsoft says you need, at minimum, a PC with a 133-MHz Pentium-compatible CPU, 64 megabytes of RAM and one gigabyte of disk space. I’d feel better with a faster CPU (300 MHz or better) and several gigabytes of disk space. A bit more memory would be nice too.
Microsoft has done a good job of ensuring that most business applications will work with Windows 2000. But before you take the plunge, be sure all the programs you depend on are compatible with it. Major applications such as accounting, word processing and database software probably will be OK, but some specialized programs, games and multimedia applications may not be compatible.
Be sure there are Windows 2000 drivers for all your hardware, including printers, scanners, digital cameras and sound cards. Microsoft has set up a Web page where you can search for your hardware and software by company name, model or type to see if it will work with the new operating system (https://www.microsoft.com/windows2000/upgrade/compat/search). If a device or program isn’t on the list, it doesn’t mean it’s not compatible. Check the manufacturer’s Web site or call the company’s technical support department to be sure.
Your PC may not be fully compatible with Windows 2000 even if it has enough memory, CPU power and storage. Microsoft says some machines will need a basic input output system, or BIOS, upgrade before they can handle some of the power management features built into Windows 2000. The BIOS is a chip on your machine’s motherboard; sometimes you can upgrade it with software, and sometimes you need to replace the chip itself.
I can’t stress enough the need to allocate plenty of time to perform the upgrade. I had trouble getting Windows 2000 to work with my local area network and cable modem, for example.
If you’re familiar with Windows 98, you’ll feel pretty comfortable with the new operating system’s look and feel. Nevertheless, there is always something to learn. If employees will be using your new operating system, you may need to train them before they are comfortable with it.
There also is the issue of whether Windows 2000 is compatible with your pocketbook. The Windows 2000 Professional Edition for desktop and mobile computers is $219 if you’re upgrading from Windows 98, $149 if you’re upgrading from Windows NT and $319 if you’re buying it for a new system.
I recommend most businesses wait before undertaking a wholesale upgrade. If you have multiple machines and time to experiment, consider upgrading a single machine to see how it goes. If you find that all is well, you can upgrade your other machines.
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Technology reports by Lawrence J. Magid can be heard at 2:10 p.m. weekdays on the KNX (1070) Technology Hour. He can be reached at larry.magid@latimes.com. His Web site is at https://www.larrysworld.com.
