Choosing the right operating system for your needs

With the launch of Windows 2000 earlier this year, and the impending launch of Windows Me (codename "Millennium") in September, there is some confusion in the market as to which system is to be used in specific environments. Justin Agar, Microsoft product manager at AXiZ, discusses the benefits to each product that make it simple to make the choice for business or home use.

"Microsoft Windows Me and Microsoft Windows 2000 Professional are both excellent products, which provide a wide array of benefits," says Agar. "While Windows 2000 Professional and Windows Me share the same general look, there are many distinct differences in the design of these two products that optimise Windows 2000 Professional for business use, and Windows Me for home use. "

Agar points out that business and home users have different needs and requirements. A business PC needs to be reliable, easy to use and manage, Internet ready, and provide fast performance. In addition, businesses need an operating system that can cater to the specific needs of mobile users, as some of their employees could use laptops.

Home users, on the other hand, are looking for different functionality. The use of digital media (such as photos, video, games and music) at home is increasing, and therefore home users require an operating system that can handle this. A rich Internet experience is also critical, as is simplicity of use.

"With these elements in mind, it is easy to select the right Microsoft operating system for you," says Agar. "Windows 2000 Professional has a powerful set of features that make it the right choice for businesses of all sizes. It has been designed so that organisations can standardise both their desktop and laptop PCs on a single operating system, while offering the full functionality that businesses require today."

Reliability and quality are primary design objectives of Windows 2000. Since Microsoft Windows 2000 Professional is designed for business users, Microsoft did not optimise Windows 2000 Professional for home users, who are more likely to run legacy hardware, 16-bit applications (i.e., games for home entertainment), coupled with the latest sound and video cards.

For home users, Windows Me will be the right choice. "Windows Me contains features that make it the only option for a home PC," says Agar. "It is designed so consumers can experience the possibilities of digital media and home networking, and offers the broadest support for consumer hardware and software."